Lellingeria subimpressa (Copel.) Labiak

  • Authority

    Labiak Evangelista, Paulo H. 2013. Grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae). I. . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 111: 1--130. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Polypodiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Lellingeria subimpressa (Copel.) Labiak

  • Type

    Type. Peru. Dept Junin: East of Quimirí, near La Merced, 800-1300 m, 1-3 Jun 1929, E. P. Killip & A. C. Smith 23842 (holotype, US; isotype, NY).

  • Synonyms

    Ctenopteris subimpressa Copel., Lellingeria hirsuta A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants epiphytic; fronds erect to arcuate determinate; rhizome short-creeping, dorsiventral, with ventral root insertion, scaly, the scales 2-4 x 0.3-0.4 mm, linear-lanceolate, the apex long-attenuate, clathrate, dark gray, ciliate, the cilia simple or furcate, present on scale margins and apex (apical cilia furcate); petiole 2—8(—12) x 0.7(-l) mm, dark brown, terete, densely pubescent, the hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long, spreading simple or 1-furcate, 2- to 3-celled, whitish; lamina 15-20(-25) cm long, oblong-lanceolate, chartaceous deeply pinnatisect, 20-40 pairs of segments, abruptly reduced at the base with 1-2 basal segments shorter than the median ones, broadest above the base not showing periodic constrictions, the apex abruptly reduced, pinnatifid, or ending in a subconform segment; rachis straight, with dark sclerenchyma visible on both sides, slightly pubescent abaxially, the hairs 0.1-0.2 mm long, appressed, simple or 1-furcate, 2- to 3-celled, hyaline; densely pubescent adaxially, the hairs 0.2 mm long, spreading, simple, 1-celled, reddish; segments ca. 2-3 cm x 2-3 mm, plane, set 80-90° to rachis, widened and symmetric at the base, short-decurrent basiscopically, slightly cuneate acroscopically, the base attached parallel on the rachis (i.e., both sides inserted along the same radius), not lobulate or overlapping the base of the next segment, the apex acute to obtuse, the margin entire, plane or slightly revolute, glabrous, abaxial lamina surface glabrescent, the hairs similar to those of the rachis abaxially, adaxial lamina surface glabrous; sinuses about the same width as the segments; venation pinnate, with 7—10(—12) pairs of veins per segment; costae with blackish sclerenchyma visible abaxially, obscured by laminar tissue adaxially, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, the hairs 0.1 mm, simple, 2-celled, hyaline; veins simple, with blackish sclerenchyma restricted to base and obscured by laminar tissue, ending in hydathodes that lack calcareous deposits; sori medial, rounded, not protruding beyond the costa and margin, up to 10 pairs per segment, superficial; sporangial capsules glabrous.

  • Discussion

    Lellingeria subimpressa is very similar to L. apiculata, especially in the shape of its laminae (truncate at the base and usually with a subconform apical segment) and the presence of reddish and simple hairs on the rachis adaxially. Lellingeria apiculata differs from L. subimpressa by having a rachis that is conspicuously pubescent abaxially (the hairs simple, spreading, and reddish), whereas the abaxial rachis in L. subimpressa is slightly pubescent (the hairs appressed and hyaline).

    Although Lellingeria subimpressa shares with L. apiculata several morphological characters, it was recovered as sister to the remaining species of the genus and not closely related to L. apiculata (Fig. 1).

  • Distribution

    Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil at 700-1500 m elevation.

    Amazonas Brazil South America| Veraguas Panama Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Zamora-Chinchipe Ecuador South America|