Pleopeltis burchellii (Baker) Hickey & Sprunt ex A.R.Sm.

Souza, Filipe Soares De & Salino, Alexandre, 2021, Pleopeltis (Polypodiaceae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 512 (4), pp. 213-256 : 223-224

5. Pleopeltis burchellii (Baker) Hickey & Sprunt ex A.R.Sm. in Smith et al. (2018: 53). Figs. 12I–O , 7E , 17A,J , 19C– D , 20B . Polypodium incanum var. burchellii Baker in Martius (1870: 526). Polypodium polypodioides ( Linnaeus 1753: 1525) var. burchellii (Baker) Weatherby (1939: 29) . Pleopeltis polypodioides (L.) Andrews & Windham in Windham (1993: 46) var. burchellii (Baker) Smith (2005: 281) . Type:— BRAZIL. Goyaz [Goiás]: Burchell 6998 (holotype K!, isotype GH! image)

Plants epiphytic. Rhizomes long-creeping, with scales, linear-triangular to lanceolate, blackish, base rounded with a blackish point of attachment, apex long-acuminate, margin stramineous to brown and incised; fronds monomorphic 3–15 × 2–5 cm; petiolate, petioles terete, 1–7 cm long, without wings, scaly; laminae 2–8 cm long, pinnate, lanceolate to deltate, base truncate, apex acuminate; rachises terete, scaly; pinnae 9–15 pairs, 0.3–2 × 0.1–0.4 cm, linear, base adnate to the rachises, auricle absent, hydathodes present, apex rounded to acuminate, margin entire, laevigate, adaxial surface glabrous; abaxial surface scaly; venation anastomosing; frond scales lanceolate to ovate, light brown to brown, base rounded with a dark brown to blackish point of attachment, apex acute, margin stramineous to light brown and entire, serrulate to denticulate; sori rounded, medial, covered by scales; spores verrucate.

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Amapá: Calçoene , 11 December 2000, F. Cesarino 16 ( BHCB) . Distrito Federal: Brasília, mata do córrego do Gama , 14 December 2002, J.A.N. Batista 1328 ( CEN) . Goiás: Aporé, Povoado Itumirim , 16 February 1992, M.R. Silva 70 ( SPF) ; Goiânia , 7 February 1988, J.R. Pirani 2071 ( SPF) ; Itauçu, Fazenda Turvo-Inhumas , 28 November 2003, R.C. Forzza 2473 ( SPF) ; Luziania , AHE Corumbá IV, 23 November 2001, M. Carvalho-Silva 97 ( CEN) . Mato Grosso: Nova Xavantina , 26 March 2003, J.G. Souza 27 ( SP) ; Vila Bela da Santissima Trindade, Parque Estadual Serra de Ricardo Franco , 7 March 2011, T.E. Almeida 2756 ( BHCB) ; Mato Grosso do Sul: Bonito, Parque Nacional da Serra da Bodoquena , 12 November 2002, V.J. Pott 5996 ( BHCB, CGMS) ; Corumbá , 29 May 1999, E.L.M. Assis 10 ( BHCB) ; Inocência , 11 November 1995, M.R. Pietrobom-Silva 2471 ( SP) . Minas Gerais: Araguai, Distrito de Paracaiba , 27 January 2007, A. Salino 11550 ( BHCB) ; Arcos , 11 April 2004, A. Salino 9563 ( BHCB) ; Uberlândia , 4 March 1996, E. Tameirão Neto 1921 ( BHCB) . Pará: Canaã dos Carajás, Floresta Nacional de Carajás, Serra Sul, Corpo C, 13 February 2010, T.E. Almeida 2153 ( BHCB) ; Marabá, Serra Norte , 27 May 1982, R. Secco 351 ( SPF) ; Parauapebas , Serra Sul-Corpo B, 20 May 2010, A.J. Arruda 219 ( BHCB) ; Santarém, Praia da Ponta de Pedras , 4 January 2014, T.E. Almeida 3410 ( BHCB) . Tocantins: Caseara, Assentamento Califórnia , 4 May 2004, E.R. Santos 71 ( BHCB, HUTO) .

Distribution and habitat: — Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. In Brazil, it occurs in the states of Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins, Maranhão, Bahia, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Minas Gerais ( Fig. 13D ) in the forest formations of low areas of the Cerrado and Amazonian Domain, it is one of the most abundant epiphytes in some areas of the Amazon, between 50– 700 m.

Notes: —In Brazil, it can be confused with P. minima , but P. burchellii has blackish rhizome scales and lanceolate scales on the laminar tissue, while P. minima has brown rhizome scales and round to widely ovate scales on the laminar tissue. In addition, these taxa only co-occur in the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul.

6. Pleopeltis desvauxii (Klotzsch) Salino (2009: 107) . Figs. 4A–D , 7F , 18A . Taenitis desvauxii Klotzsch (1847: 431) . Type:— SAINT VINCENT. Hooker & Greville (lectotype: LT! image, designated by Proctor (1977))

Plants epiphytic or epipetric. Rhizomes short-creeping, with scales, ovate to widely-ovate, blackish, base rounded, apex acuminate, margin entire to denticulate; fronds monomorphic, 8–20 × 6–10 cm, sessile to short-petiolate, petioles terete, up to 0.2 cm long, alate, glabrous to sparsely scaly; laminae 8–19 cm long, bifurcate to eventually trifurcate; obtriangular, base attenuate, apex truncate to obtuse; rachises terete, glabrous; segments 5–12 × 0.3–1.4 cm, moderately scaly on both surfaces; frond scales, ovate to widely-ovate, or lanceolate (those of rachises), dark brown to blackish, base rounded, apex acuminate, margin entire to denticulate; venation anastomosing; sori linear, marginal, glabrous; spores with plain surface to shallowly verrucate.

Selected specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Acre: Mâncio Lima, Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor , 14 December 2010, T.E. Almeida 2628 ( BHCB) . Amapá: Rio Oiapoque, Ilha do Escondido , 12 August 1960, H.S. Irwin 47442 (NY, IAN) . Amazonas: Manaus, Reserva Florestal Ducke , 3 July 1993, J. Prado 993 ( SP) . Ceará: Pacatuba, Serra da Aratanha , E.L. Paula-Zárate s.n. ( EAC 25422) . Pará: Canaã dos Carajás, Floresta Nacional de Carajás, Serra Sul, Corpo B, 14 February 2010, T.E. Almeida 2159 ( BHCB) ; Parauapebas, Serra Sul , 17 March 2009, P.L. Viana 4109 ( BHCB) . Roraima: Serra dos Surucucus, 18 February 1969, G.T. Prance 10023 ( NY) ; Rorainópolis , 17 February 2008, H. Tuomisto 15778 ( SP) .

Distribution and habitat: —Antilles, Guyana, French Guiana, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. In Brazil, this species occurs mainly in the Amazonian region in the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, and Roraima, as well as in the mountain region of Ceará state, ( Fig. 6A ), and eventually occurs in gallery forest of Cerrado in the State of Minas Gerais, between 100– 700 m.

Notes: —This species can be recognized by its obtriangular lamina with straight segments (0.3–1.4 cm wide), ovate scales, and anastomosing veins. It can be confused with P. furcata . However, these species only co-occur in the state of Minas Gerais and can be differentiated by venation, which is free and furcate or eventually anastomosing near the costae in P. furcata and completely anastomosing in P. desvauxii ( Fig. 18A ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. A–D. Pleopeltis desvauxii. A. Habit; B. Rhizome scale; C.Abaxial rachis scale; D. Abaxial laminar scale. E–G. P. furcata. E. Habit; F. Rhizome scale; G. Abaxial laminar scale.

FIGURE 6. Distribution of four species of Pleopeltis in Brazil. A. P. desvauxii; B. P. furcata; C. P. gyroflexa; D. P. hirsutissima.

FIGURE 7. Spores of nine species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. alborufula; B. P. astrolepis; C. P. aturensis; D. P. bombycina; E. P. burchellii; F. P. desvauxii; G. P. furcata; H. P. gyroflexa; I. P. hirsutissima. Scale bar = 20 mm

FIGURE 12. A–H. Pleopeltis pleopeltifolia. A. Habit; B. Rhizome scale; C. Petiole scale; D. Adaxial rachis scale; E.Abaxial rachis scale; F–G. Adaxial laminar scale; H. Abaxial laminar scale. I–O. P. burchellii. I. Habit; J. Rhizome scale; K. Petiole scale; L. Adaxial rachis scale; M. Abaxial rachis scale; N. Adaxial laminar scale; O. Abaxial laminar scale.

FIGURE 13. Distribution of four species of Pleopeltis in Brazil. A. P. monoides; B. P. pleopeltidis; C. P. pleopeltifolia; D. P. burchellii.

FIGURE 17. Rhizome scales of seven species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. burchelii, rhizome; B. P. minima, rhizome; C. P. gyroflexa; D. P. stolzei; E. P. minima; F. P. macrocarpa; G. P. bombycina; H. P. monoides; I. P. stolzei; J. P. burchelii.

FIGURE 18. Venation and sori of four species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. desvauxii, anastomosing veins; B. P. furcata, free veins; C. P. hirsutissima, two sori surrounded by scales; D. P. macrocarpa, sorus covered by peltate scales; E. P. astrolepis, sorus covered by peltate scales; F. P. desvauxii, linear marginal sori; G. P. hirsutissima, immature sorus covered by peltate scales; H. P. hirsutissima, mature sorus surrounded by peltate scales.

FIGURE 19. Laminar indument of three species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. alborufula, adaxial surface; B. P. alborufula, abaxial surface; C. P. burchelii, adaxial surface; D. P. burchelii, abaxial surface; E. P. monoides, adaxial surface; F. P. monoides, abaxial surface.

FIGURE 20. Laminar scales of eight species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. alborufula, abaxial scale; B. P. burchelii, abaxial scale; C–D. P. minima, abaxial scales; E. P. bombycina, abaxial scale; F. P. trindadensis, abaxial scale; G. P. hirsutissima, abaxial scale; H. P. lepidopteris, abaxial scale; I. P. minarum, abaxial scale; J. P. bombycina, adaxial scale; K. P. lepidopteris, adaxial scale; L. P. minarum, adaxial scale; M–N. P. alborufula, adaxial scales.