Melpomene firma (J.Sm.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran, Novon

Smith, Alan R., Kessler, Michael, León, Blanca, Almeida, Thaís Elias, Jiménez-Pérez, Iván & Lehnert, Marcus, 2018, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XL. Polypodiaceae, Phytotaxa 354 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

Melpomene firma (J.Sm.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran, Novon 2(4): 430. 1992.

= Grammitis firma (J.Sm.) C.V.Morton, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 38: 110. 1967.

= Polypodium herzogii Rosenst., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 6: 176. 1908.

Range: —Southern Mexico to Panama, Colombia to Venezuela and Guyana, south to Bolivia (CO, LP, SC).

Ecology: —Very common; epiphytic in wet montane forests; (1300) 1900–3450 m.

Notes: —Distinctive in having spreading to reflexed, linear segments and blackish costae visible on both laminar surfaces. Closely related to M. occidentalis Lehnert , from Colombia to Venezuela and Ecuador, which also has marginal glands on the scales and mostly linear segments with visible black costae but differs in having only branched hairs on the petioles (vs. acicular to short setiform hairs in M. firma ) and pinnae that are patent to ascending and notably reduced in the lower half (vs. not much reduced and clearly reflexed).