Sticherus squamosus (Fée) J. Gonzales (2011: 47)

Lima, Lucas Vieira & Salino, Alexandre, 2018, The fern family Gleicheniaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 358 (3), pp. 199-234 : 230-231

3.12. Sticherus squamosus (Fée) J. Gonzales (2011: 47) . Figs. 9D , 10M–P , 11D .

Mertensia squamosa Fée (1869: 202) . Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: 8 April 1868, Glaziou 2279 pro part (lectotype designated here, P [P00625790], photo!, isolectotype BR [BR0000006972103] photo!) Excluded syntypes: FI [FI00400] photo! not a type, B [20 0131884] photo! not a type.

Gleichenia lanosa Christ in Schwacke (1900: 35). Sticherus lanosus (Christ in Schwacke) J. Gonzales (2011: 32). Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Ouro Preto, Córrego do Macaco, 30 July 1896, Schwacke 12475 (lectotype designated here, P [P00625768] photo!, isolectotypes BHCB [BHCB000164]!, P [P00625767] photo!, RB [RB00671327] photo!).

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes 3.75–5 mm thick, with reddish-brown, soft triangular scales, with apex attenuate, base truncate, margins dentate. Fronds scrambling, 2–3(4)-forked, petiole 3–6.5 mm thick, ultimate branches 24.5–42 × 3.5–6.5 cm, elliptic occasionally linear, apex pinnatifid, base slightly reduced, abaxial surface densely scaly on the rachis, scales stramineous, narrow-triangular to linear, with apex filiform, base truncate, margins long-ciliate, adaxial surface sense to moderately covered by stramineous to hyaline filiform scales, segments linear 1.7–3.6 × 0.35–0.49 cm, margins plane to revolute, abaxial surface tomentose, with arachnoid scales on laminar tissue and secondary veins, midrib with arachnoid and stellate scales with long-ciliate margins. Buds with light-brown to reddish, triangular to deltoid scales, usually with basal or central darkening, with apex filiform, base truncate, margins short-ciliate, pseudoestipule present only at the first branch. Veins 1-forked. Sori medial, with paraphyses.

Distribution and habitat: —Endemic to Brazil (Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo). This species occurs along forest edges in the Atlantic Forrest domain at 600–1800 m.

Notes: — Sticherus squamosus is characterized by the large size of the ultimate branches, petioles covered by caduceus scales, rachises usually terete, and abaxial surfaces of the segments tomentose. Gonzales & Kessler (2011) recognized Sticherus lanosus as a separate species from S. squamosus by the pattern of the bud scale darkening and the density of the indument on the abaxial surfaces of the segments. However, our study of the types and several other Brazilian specimens have led us to conclude that the differences listed by Gonzales & Kessler (2011) are not consistent and of limited taxonomic value.

In the original description of Mertensia squamosa, Fée (1869) cited Glaziou 2279 as type material, and also cited as type locality “Habitat in Brasilia Fluminense”, which means Rio de Janeiro State. We found four specimens under this number, three at P and one at BR. Among the P specimens there was only one specimen with Fée’s original label with the locality assigned to Rio de Janeiro. The other two specimens have original label of Glaziou, but the type locality is assigned to Minas Gerais “de Juiz de Fora a Ubá”. Furthermore, one of these two specimens it is not S. squamosus , but S. bifidus . The BR specimen has a transcript label and the locality is assigned to Rio de Janeiro. In this context, we chose as lectotype the most complete specimen with Fée’s original label.

In the original material of Gleichenia lanosa , the author cited as type material the collection Schwacke 12475 from Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We found four specimens under this collection number, two at P, one at BHCB, and one at RB. The only specimen with transcript label is the one at BHCB. Furthermore, on that specimen the collection date is different from the others: The year on this label is 1904, the same year of Schwacke death. At this year, Schwacke was hospitalized at Barbacena, in Minas Gerais State. Therefore, this may be a mistake during the transcription of the label information. We chose as lectotype the most complete specimen with an original label of Schwacke, which is in P.

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Divino de São Lourenço, Parque Nacional do Caparaó, RPPN Águas do Caparaó , Cachoeira Alta ao longo do córrego do Veadinho , 20º35’49,2”S 41º46’52,5”W, 1000 m, 12 September 2008, Salino et al. 13827 (BHCB). Minas Gerais: Buenópolis, Parque Nacional das Sempre Vivas, Campos de São Domingos , cabeceira do Córrego São Domingos, 17º55’53.5”S 43º46’25.9”W, 1323 m, 28 April 2007, Almeida et al. 812 (BHCB) ; Catas Altas, Santuário do Caraça, Serra do Caraça , 20º07’52.8”S 43º51’48.7”W, 21August 2005, Salino et al. 10541 (BHCB) ; Conceição do Mato Dentro , Parque Natural Municipal do Ribeirão do Campo, 01 August 2002, Mota 1563 (BHCB) ; Espera Feliz, Parque Nacional do Caparaó , 20º29’28”S, 41º49’17”W, 1735 m, 12 September 2016, Salino 16227 (BHCB) ; Simonésia, RPPN Mata do Sossego , 20º04’02.0”S, 42º04’40.4”W, ca. 1300 m, 20 May 2006, Salino et al. 11054 (BHCB). Rio de Janeiro: Alto Macaé, Glaziou 4457 (RB) ; Itatiaia, Monte Serrat , May 1933, Brade 12617 (RB) ; Resende, Parque Estadual da Pedra Selada , 22º18’48”S 44º21’47”W, 629 m, 04 May 2015, Cardoso 1330 (RB) ; Santa Maria Madalena, Pedra Dubois, 28 February 1934, Santos 13182 (RB). São Paulo: Bananal , Estação ecológica de Bananal, trilha das Sete Quedas do Rio das Cobras, 22º48’02.6”S, 44º22’34.3”W, 17 June 2003, Salino et al. 8809 (BHCB). Campos do Jordão , 20 February 1937, Porto 3201 (RB) .

Figures

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.

FIGURE 10. A–E. Sticherus pruinosus (Salino 2421, BHCB). A. Detail of the abaxial surface. B. Rhizome scale. C. Bud scale. D. Rachis scale. E–H. S. remotus (Amorin et al. 1135, BHCB). E. Detail of segments, abaxial surface. F. Rhizome scale. G. Bud scale. H. Rachis scale. I–L. S. salinoi (Fernandes 771, BHCB). I. Detail of the abaxial surface. J. Rachis scale. K. Rhizome scale. L. Bud scale. M–P. S. squamosus (Dittrich 2030, CESJ). M. Detail of the abaxial surface. N. Rhizome scale. O. Bud scale. P. Rachis scale.

FIGURE 11. Habit. A. Sticherus pruinosus. B. S. remotus. C. S. salinoi. D. S. squamosus.