Sticherus underwoodianus (Maxon) Nakai (1950: 31)

Gonzales, Jasivia & Kessler, Michael, 2011, A synopsis of the Neotropical species of Sticherus (Gleicheniaceae), with descriptions of nine new species, Phytotaxa 31, pp. 1-54 : 48-49

Sticherus underwoodianus (Maxon) Nakai (1950: 31)

Dicranopteris underwoodiana Maxon (1909a: 59) .

Type:— MEXICO. Chiapas: Ghiesbreght 271 (holotype NY, isotypes BM, GH, K, NY, PH, US).

Distribution and ecology:— Mountains of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. In wet montane cloud forests, pine-oak forests, clearings, and along roadsides, often forming large colonies on rocky ground, at 1600–3000 m, down to 1350 m in the Greater Antilles.

Notes:— Two collections from El Salvador (Santa Ana, Cordillera Miramundo, mountain of Montecristo, 2000–2200 m, 27–31 January 1966, Molina 16747, GH; Santa Ana, Parque Nacional Montecristo, Cordillera de Metapan, 14°27’N, 89°22’W, 2100–2250 m, 27 January 1998, Davidse 37269, BM) are similar in appearance to S. underwoodianus , but are larger, more densely scaly, especially on the midveins, have bud scales with matte bases and translucent margins (vs. matte throughout), and have midvein scales that are linear to branched and hairlike (vs. linear and fringed). Superficially similar specimens, especially with respect to the branch and midvein scales, are also known from Bolivia (La Paz, Murillo, SW of Zongo, 2300–2400 m, 5 March 1983, Molau & Solomon 667, S) and southeastern Brazil (São Paulo, Estação Biologica Alto da Serra, 23°47’S, 46°19’W, 800–900 m, 14 February 1929, Smith L.B. 1908, S, US), but whether these are related to each other and to the collections from El Salvador is uncertain. In the Bolivian specimen, the bud scales are more densely fringed, whereas in the Brazilian collection the scales have fewer, stiffer cilia, thus approaching S. squamosus . The Brazilian collection has been identified as S. subflagellaris Christ , but the application of this name is uncertain (see under doubtful names).