Austroblechnum ×rodriguezii (Aguiar, Quintanilla & Amigo) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich, 2016

Gasper, André Luís De, Dittrich, Viníciusantonio De Oliveira, Smith, Alan R. & Salino, Alexandre, 2016, A classification for Blechnaceae (Polypodiales: Polypodiopsida): New genera, resurrected names, and combinations, Phytotaxa 275 (3), pp. 191-227 : 203-205

39. Austroblechnum ×rodriguezii (Aguiar, Quintanilla & Amigo) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich , comb. nov. — Blechnum × rodriguezii Aguiar, Quintanilla & Amigo, Amer. Fern J. 97: 228, fig. 1. 2008. [ Blechnum corralense Espinosa × Blechnum mochaenum G. Kunkel subsp. mochaenum ]

Blechnidium T.Moore, Index.Fil. CLV.1860 ; Brit.Ferns Nat. Pr.[Moore], octavo ed., 2. 210. 1860. — Type: Blechnidium melanopus (Hook.) T.Moore, Brit. Ferns 210. 1860; Index Fil. CLV. 1860. Figs. 3B , 5H .

Plants terrestrial or epipetric; rhizomes long-creeping, slender (ca. 3–4 mm diam.), non-stoloniferous, bearing dense golden to dark-brown, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, entire scales; fronds monomorphic; stipes slender, long, dark brown to atropurpureous, with few scales proximally, glabrous toward apices; blades concolorous, lanceolate, pinnatisect, abruptly or subabruptly reduced proximally, apices pinnatifid; rachises glabrous; buds absent; aerophores absent; pinnae adnate, usually falcate, entire, slightly revolute at margins; veins partially anastomosing, with costal areoles, ultimate veinlets free, usually forking; sori linear, adjacent and closely parallel to costae, indusia entire, linear; x = 31.

Species number, comments, and distribution:— One species in China (including Taiwan) and India. The genus is characterized by the discrete areoles adjacent to the costae and resembles Blechnum s.s., but the rhizomes are long-creeping and non-stoloniferous, and phylogenetic analyses do not show them to be closely related (Gasper et al. in press); rather, Blechnidium is closely related to Brainea and Struthiopteris (Gasper et al. in press).

Figures

FIGURE 3. General appearance of the genera of Blechnaceae subfamily Blechnoideae (A-D). A. Austroblechnum penna-marina (FURB06706); B. Blechnidium melanopus (P02439094); C. Blechnopsis orientalis (P01406555); D. Blechnum occidentale (FURB06701); E. Brainea insignis (P01482127); F. Cleistoblechnum eburneum (P00627565); G. Cranfillia fluviatilis (P01606472); H. Diploblechnum fraseri (P01557366); I. Doodia aspera (P01618184). Vouchers are indicated by herbarium barcodes.

FIGURE 5. Habitat of Blechnaceae genera. A. Anchistea virginica; B. Lorinseria areolata; C. Woodwardia unigemmata; D. Salpichalena volubilis; E. Stenochlaena milnei; F. Telmatoblechnum serrulatum; G. Austroblechnum penna-marina; H. Blechnidium melanopus; I. Blechnopsis orientalis. Photos from: A. The PLANTS Database, USDA, NRCS. 2016; B. James Van Kley; C. Ralf Knapp; D. Luis Adriano Funez; E. Julie F. Barcelona; F. Luis Adriano Funez; G. Vinícius A.O. Dittrich; H. Ralf Knap; I. Ralf Knap. Reproduced with permission from the authors.