Lindsaea fuscopetiolata A.Rojas & Tejero, 2017

Rojas-Alvarado, Alexander Francisco & Tejero-Díez, José Daniel, 2017, Novelties and notes in Lindsaea (Lindsaeaceae) from Mexico and Central America, Phytotaxa 296 (2), pp. 147-160 : 150-152

Lindsaea fuscopetiolata A.Rojas & Tejero , sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

Lindsaea fuscopetiolata is smilar to L. divaricata but differs in having an anadromic basal pinnule close to the primary rachis and the pinnae are therefore sessile (vs. petiolulate), blade apices that are pinnatifid with a very small terminal segment (vs. subconform, with a lanceolate, undulate, terminal segment), and more pinnules ((14–)20–32 pairs vs. 12–18(–26 pairs per pinna) that are subquadrangular (vs. rectangular) and 1.2–1.5 (vs. 2.0–2.6) times longer than wide.

Type: — COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: Buenos Aires, Parque Internacional La Amistad, cuenca Térraba-Sierpe , sabanas Esperanza y bosques aledaños, 09°04 ʹ 33 ʺ N, 83°01 ʹ 45 ʺ W, 1600–1700 m, 30 May 2006, D. Santamaría et al. 4411 (holotype CR!; isotype MO!) .

Perennial terrestrial herbs, rhizomes short creeping, 1.5–2.5 mm in diameter, with fronds every 1–3 mm distant between them; rhizome scales 1–3 × 0.2–0.4 mm, linear, brown-yellowish to brown, entire; fronds (15–) 28–90 cm long, erect; stipes (3–) 12–57 cm long, brown to atropurpureous, lustrous, not angulate and not winged abaxially; blade 2-pinnate, deltate to ovate; pinnae (4–)8–15 × 1.2–1.7 cm, (1)2–8 pairs, linear, oblique, sessile, broadly at base, apically pinnatifid or with a small attenuate segment, uniformly spaced and alternates along the rachis, the apical pinnae longer; pinnules 0.5–0.8 × 0.4–0.6 cm, 1.2–1.5 times longer than wide, (14–)20–32 pairs, ascending, dimidiate except the basal ones; sori continuous along acroscopic margin and distal sides of segments; indusia ca. 0.5 mm broad, stramineous, slightly crenate.

Distribution:— Endemic to Pacific side of cordilleras in Mesoamerica at 1000–2000 m.

Etymology:— The name of the new species refers to the brown stipes.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— MEXICO. Chiapas: Mpio. Ángel Albino Corzo, cerro El Triunfo, 15º37 ʹ N, 92º48 ʹ W, 2000 m, 18 February 1997, M. Pérez 1579 (MEXU!).

HONDURAS. Santa Barbara: above Lake Yojoa, El Sauce, 1000 m, 9 April 1951, L. Williams & A. Molina 17692 (EAP!).

COSTA RICA. Guanacaste: Bagaces, Guayabal, Zona Protectora Miravalles, mirador Los Sitios y orillas de quebrada en sabanas naturales, 1000–1100 m, 6 October 2012, A. Rojas & J. Jiménez 10358 (CR!, K!, MO!, USJ!). Puntarenas: Coto Brus, Cuenca Térraba-Sierpe, El Progreso, Finca Cafrosa, 8°53 ʹ 29 ʺ N, 82°45 ʹ 53 ʺ W, 1300 m, 15 September 1996, E. Navarro 458 (CR!).

PANAMA. Panamá: Cerro Azul, 14 July 1960, J. Ebinger 417 (EAP!, US!).

Notes:— Lindsaea fuscopetiolata is similar to L. divaricata in having brown to reddish brown stipes and rachises and ascending pinnae and pinnules, but it differs in the characters mentioned in the diagnosis. The pinnatifid apex of L. fuscopetiolata is similar to L. quadrangularis subsp. subalata Kramer (1957a: 190–191) (= L. subalata (Kramer) A. Rojas & Tejero , here combined), but L. fuscopetiolata differs in having brown to reddish brown and lustrous stipes and rachises (vs. brown and opaque), and shorter pinnules (5–8 mm vs. 8–18 mm long) that are 1.2–1.5 times longer than wide (vs. 2.0–2.7 times). Also L. fuscopetiolata has been confused with L. feei Christensen (1906: 393) by its short, sessile pinnae, but it differs in having brown to reddish brown and lustrous stipes and rachises (vs. stramineous and matte), more graduate pinnatifid blade apices (vs. subconform), more pinnule pairs ((14–) 20–32 pairs vs. 12–18 pairs), and pinnules with entire margins (vs. lobulated).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lindsaea fuscopetiolata (D. Santamaría et al. 4411, CR). A. General aspect of type specimen. B. Abaxial blade detail.