Abrodictyum franceae Bauret & Dubuisson (2016: 163)

Dubuisson, Jean-Yves, Bauret, Lucie, Grall, Aurelie, Senterre, Bruno, Said, Ahamada H., Pynee, Kersley, Ebihara, Atsushi & Hennequin, Sabine, 2017, Taxonomic study of the fern genera Abrodictyum C. Presl and Trichomanes L. (Hymenophyllaceae, Polypodiidae) in the western Indian Ocean, and description of a new Abrodictyum species for Madagascar, Phytotaxa 327 (3), pp. 201-222 : 209-210

Abrodictyum franceae Bauret & Dubuisson (2016: 163) .

Type:— MADAGASCAR. Réserve Spéciale de Manongarivo, le long d’un petit cours d’eau large de 1-1.5 m, 29 September 2004, G. Rouhan 267 (holotype P, P00749196!).

Terrestrial ferns. Rhizomes short, erect, 0.5–1.0(–1.5) cm in diameter, bearing long tufted erect red-brown trichomes, especially densely covering apex, and numerous robust roots. Fronds clustered, erect; stipes 2.5–9.5(–13.0) cm long, canaliculate, wingless or with a thin wing only on their upper part, bearing numerous scattered trichomes identical to those present on rhizomes; rachises and main pinna axes with trichomes similar to those on the stipes and rhizomes. Laminae (8.5–)11.0–16.0(–20.0) × 3.0–6.0(–8.5) cm, lanceolate with truncated base and mostly linear apex, not more than bi-pinnate-pinnatifid, light green and translucent, mostly more or less crisped or curled in the wild; pinnae 1.5–4.5 × 0.5–2.2 cm, sub-horizontal to oblique, basally sub-opposite then alternate, lanceolate or triangular to linear, the basal-most usually asymmetrical with often the main axis more or less arched towards the frond apex (giving a falciform shape); pinnules pinnatifid, lanceolate to linear; ultimate segments 0.3–0.5 mm wide, linear and single-veined with acute to rounded ends, the veins not reaching the margin; venation pinnate and anadromous. Sori paratactic, mostly on acroscopic basal-most segments of proximal pinnules, 1.0–1.5 × 0.6–0.9 mm, 1–3(–6) per pinnule, up to 25 per pinna, free with a thin full longitudinal wing on both margins, obconic to campanulate, with a slightly to well dilated mouth; receptacle short- to long-exerted.

Distribution and habitat: —Endemic to Madagascar, terrestrial in the understory of rainforests, usually near streams, at low to middle elevations (500–1,700 m) ( Table 1).

Specimens examined: — MADAGASCAR. Antananarivo: Réserve spéciale d’Ambohitantely, zone centrale, environ 8 km au Nord-Ouest d’Ankazobe , July 1981, F. Rakotondrainibe 202 (P00064768) ; Réserve Spéciale d’Ambohitantely , December 1997, F. Rakotondrainibe 4413 (P00134489), 4477 (P00134550) . Antsiranana: RS d’Anjanaharibe-Sud, sur le versant Sud-Est , November 1994, F. Rakotondrainibe 2362 (P00046833), 2467 (P00046936) ; RNI 12 du Marojejy, au bord de la rivière Manantenina , October 1996, F. Rakotondrainibe 3311 (P00084778), 3398 (P00084873) ; PN de Marojejy, October 2001, F. Rakotondrainibe 6229 (P00243868); Forêt de Betaolana , October 1999, F. Rakotondrainibe 4836 (P00134975), 4992 (P00179616) ; RNI n°4, Diego, Beangona , 9 km Est Beangona-Ambevy, November 2000, A. Rasolohery 61 (P00338330) ; Montagne au nord de Mangindrano, Marotolana, Ampanopia, Matsabory maika, Antetikalambazaha , April 2001, A. Rasolohery 543 (P00341303) ; Réserve Spéciale de Manongarivo , September 2004, G. Rouhan 268 (P00749197) ; Massif du Manongarivo, sur la crête entre les deux bras de la bifurcation principale de la Haute Ambahatra, versant du Bemaharena , September 2004, T. Janssen 2378 (P00590626) . Fianarantsoa: Limite extérieure nord de la RS d’Ivohibe, October 1997, F. Rakotondrainibe 4021 (P00134027) ; PN de Ranomafana, Forêt de Vatoharanana , October 2000, F. Rakotondrainibe 5877 (P00212354) . Toamasina: Parc national de Zahamena, June 2001, A. Rasolohery 501 (P00233446) . Toliara: Eminiminy, Parcelle 1, R.N.I. n° 11 d’Andohahela , versant Est et sommet du Trafon’omby, October 1995, F. Rakotondrainibe 2928 (P00067024), 3133 (P00067237) .