Sticherus nigropaleaceus (J.W. Sturm) Prado & Lellinger (1996: 98)

Lima, Lucas Vieira & Salino, Alexandre, 2018, The fern family Gleicheniaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 358 (3), pp. 199-234 : 221-224

3.7. Sticherus nigropaleaceus (J.W. Sturm) Prado & Lellinger (1996: 98) . Figs. 7A–D , 8C , 9B .

Mertensia nigropaleacea Sturm (1840: 222) . Gleichenia bífida (Willd.) Spreng. var. nigropaleacea (J.W. Sturm) Rosenstock (1906: 60) . Sticherus longipinnatus (Hook.) Ching var. nigropaleaceus (J.W. Sturm) Nakai (1950: 22) . Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: without date, Gaudichaud 142 (lectotype B [B 20 0096735] photo!, isolectotypes P [P00625794], [P00625795], [P00625796], [P00625797] photos!).

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes 2.62–4.15 mm thick, with scales dark-brown, rigid, linear-lanceolate, with apex acuminate, base truncate, margins setose. Fronds scrambling, 1–3-forked, petiole 2.45–5.20 mm thick, ultimate branches 11–60 × 2.2–7.7 cm, linear to lanceolate, apex pinnatifid, base truncate, abaxial surface moderately scaly on the rachis, scales nigrescent, lanceolate, apex acuminate, base truncate, margins setose, adaxial surface sparsely covered by hyaline filiform scales, segments linear 1.34–3.5 × 0.20–0.40 cm, margins plane to rarely revolute, abaxial surface with filiform scales on laminar tissue and secondary veins, midrib with hyaline, deltoid scales, apex acuminate, base truncate, margins long-ciliate. Buds with nigrescent, narrow-triangular scales, with apex acuminate, base truncate, margins dantate to setose, pseudoestipule present. Veins 1-forked; Sori medial, with hyaline paraphyses.

Distribution and habitat: —Endemic to Brazil (Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo). This species occurs along roads, trails, and forest edge in the Atlantic Forest domain at 38–1800 m.

Notes:— Sticherus nigropaleaceus differs from the other Brazilian species of Sticherus by having nigrescent bud scales, rachises with at least apically nigrescent scales, and large trifid pseudostipules. Gonzales & Kessler (2011) proposed a relationship of S. nigropaleaceus with S. interjectus (Jermy & T.G.Walker) Gonzales (2011: 28) , and they differentiated them by the pattern of darkening on the buds and rachis scales. According to these authors, in S. interjectus the darkening pattern is from the base to the apex of the scale, and in S. nigropaleaceus is from the apex to the base. Jermy & Walker (1985) described S. interjectus as a tetraploid species with intermediate morphology between S. ferrugineus and S. remotus . However, by the analysis of the type of S. intejectus we conclude that the morphological character used by Gonzales & Kessler (2011) to differentiate it from S. nirgropaleaceus are not consistent due to the variability of this character. Besides that, the intermediary morphology and the chromosome number used by Jermy & Walker (1985), by themselves are not conclusive to affirm that S. interjectus is really a hybrid between S. ferrugineus and S. remotus . Therefore, S. intejectus may be a synonym of S. nigropaleaceus , in this case we should consider it to be a single species with a large distribution. Future studies must be performed aiming to elucidate the possible hybrid origin of S. interjectus .

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Abaíra, trilha para o Pico do Barbado, Catolés de Cima , 13°17’28”S, 41°54’14”W, 1715 m, 03 April 2010, Dittrich 1648 (CESJ) ; Catolés, Chapada Diamantina, Subida para a Serra do Barbado , 13°17’S, 41°50’W, 30 April 2006, Guedes 12309 (ALCB). Espírito Santo: Castelo , Parque Estadual do Forno Grande , 20º32’06”S, 41º05’54”W, 1100 m, 28 June 2008, Salino 13683 (BHCB) ; Divino de São Lorenço, Parque Nacional do Caparaó, RPPN Águas do Caparaó , Cachoeira Alta , 20º35’49.2”S, 41º46’52.5”W, 1050 m, 12 September 2008, Salino 13883 (BHCB) ; Itarana, Alto Jatiboca, propriedade de, Frederico Saedler , 20º00’51”S 40º54’42.6”W, 816 m, 27 August 2009, Salino 14517 (BHCB) ; Marechal Floriano, Sítio de Almir Bressa , 20°24’47”S 40°40’59”W, 700 m, 12 July 1988, Pereira 1616 (VIES) ; Santa Teresa, Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi, trilha da cachoeira, 19º55’14”S 40º33’37”W, 800 m, 02 December 2008, Salino 14036 (BHCB). Minas Gerais: Catas Altas , Parque Natural do Caraça , caminho da capelinha, 20º05’45.5”S, 43º28’54”W, 1350 m, 10 July 2004, Salino 9621 (BHCB) ; Diamantina, entorno do Parque Nacional das Sempre Vivas , vila de Macacos , 17º5’14.5”S, 43º46’11.8”W, 1084 m, 02 May 2007, Almeida . 996 (BHCB) ; Juiz de Fora, Parque da Lajinha, Trilha da água, parte da frente do parque, 29 October 2013, Lima 20 (CESJ) ; Nova Lima, RPPN Mata do Jambeiro , 19º58’41.9”S, 43º53’10.6W, Figueiredo 295 (BHCB) ; Santa Maria do Salto, distrito de Talismã, fazenda Duas Barras, próximo à divisa com estado da Bahia, 16º24’16.5”S, 40º03’27.4W 800 m, 10 October 2003, Salino 9295 (BHCB). Paraná: Antonina, Reserva Natural Rio Cachoeira , Fazenda Rincão, 25°15’S, 48°41’W, 30 m, 01 March 2005, Matos 460 (UPCB) ; Guaraqueçaba, Reserva Natural Salto Morato , 25º10’17”S, 48º18’13”W, 2013, Ariati 1190 (MBM) ; Guaratuba, Serra da Prata , 25°36’S, 48°43’W, 400 m, 19 February 2004, Labiak et al. 3168 (UPCB) ; Paranaguá, Ilha do Mel, Morro Bento Alves , 11 October 1992, Salino et al. 1487 (UPCB) ; Tunas do Paraná, Estrada de Tunas do Paraná para a Fazenda Berneck , 24°44’56.0”S, 48°45’19.0”W, 800 m, 21 April 2007, Labiak et al. 3928 (UPCB) ; Rio de Janeiro: Cachoeira de Macacu, rua entre Funchal e Guapiaçu , 22º27’52”S, 42º45’48”W, 38 m, 16 November 2009, Baber 395 (RB) ; Rio de Janeiro, Estrada das Canoas, June 1960, Duarte 5252 (RB) ; Paraty, Trindade, Praia do Caixa de Aço , 08 November 1991, Marquete 444 (RB). Rio Grande do Sul: Balneário Pinhal , Horto Florestal , 30°11’33.0”S, 50°20’54.0”W, 10 m, 13 October 2012, Gonzatti 619 (HUCS). Santa Catarina: Antônio Carlos, Santa Maria, 27º32’22”S, 48º52’13”W, 220 m, 05 February 2010, Stival-Santos 1741 (FURB) ; Blumenau, Parque Nacional do Itajaí , estrada pra sede, 26º55’37”S, 49º04’51” W, 10 April 2010, Salino et al. 14793 (BHCB) ; Indaial, Ilse, bairro Warnow , 13 December 2006, Kalk s.n. (FURB 5720) ; Paulo Lopes, Espraiado, Parque Estadual da Serra do Tabuleiro , 27º59’24”S, 48º46’48”W, 329m, 08 June 2010, Verdi et al. 4906 (FURB). São Paulo: Eldorado, Parque Estadual do Jacupiranga , núcleo Caverna do Diabo , trilha do Araçá e trilha do Rolado, 24º38’13”S, 48º28’01.7”W, 22 March 2005, Salino et al. 10106 (BHCB) ; Juquiá, Reserva Votarantim, Complexo Juquiá , trilha da vila dos moradores em direção a caixa d’água, 24º06’08”S, 47º30’18”W, 193 m, Salino et al. 15673 (BHCB) ; Mogi das Cruzes, limite com Salesópolis , estrada Usaka , Represa Casa Grande da SABESP, 23º39’17.3”S, 45º57’34.2W, 24 April 2000, Salino et al. 5383 (BHCB) ; São Paulo, 04 December 1949, Joly s.n. (SPF 60186) ; Ubatuba, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Picinguaba , Trilha do Picadão da Barra , 23º21’43.8”S, 44º50’02.3”W, 03 May 2001, Salino et al. 6712 (BHCB) ;

Figures

FIGURE 7. A–E. Sticherus nigropaleaceus (Lima 20, CESJ). A. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. B. Rhizome scale. C. Bud scale. D. Rachis scale. E–I. S. paulistanus E. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. F. Rhizome scale. G. Bud scale. H. Rachis scale. I. Arachnoid scale of the abaxial side of the laminae. J–N. S. lanuginosus (Novelino s.n., CESJ 29978). J. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. K. Rhizome scale. L. Bud scale. M. Rachis scale. N. Arachnoid scale of the abaxial side of the laminae. O–R. S. longipinnatus (Maciel 780, BHCB). O. Detail of the abaxial segment surface. P. Rhizome scale. Q. Bud scale. R. Rachis scale. S. Anchor-shaped scale of the abaxial rachis surface.

FIGURE 8. Habit. A. Sticherus lanuginosus. B. S. longipinnatus. C. S. nigropaleaceus. D. S. paulistanus.

FIGURE 9. Distribution of five taxa of Sticherus in Brazil.A. Sticherus longipinnatus, S. paulistanus. B. S. nigropaleaceus and S. salinoi. C. S. pruinosus and S. remotus. D. S. squamosus.