Struthiopteris spicant var. homophyllum (Merino) Gabriel y Galán & Pino 2017

Wasowicz, Pawel, Gabriel, Jose Maria & Perez, Ruben Pino, 2017, New combinations in Struthiopteris spicant for the European flora, Phytotaxa 302 (2), pp. 198-200 : 198-199

Struthiopteris spicant var. homophyllum (Merino) Gabriel y Galán & Pino , comb. nov.

Basionym: Blechnum spicant var. homophyllum Merino in Christ (1904: 79).

Homotypic synonyms: Homophyllum blechniforme Merino (1898: 108). Blechnum spicant subsp. homophyllum (Merino) Merino (1909: 488) .

Type (protologue):— SPAIN. Galicia: “Haec planta, quam non nisi uno in loco reperi, nempe in quodam proclivio umbroso et madido prope oppidum San Juan de Tabagon nomine cognitum, et ab hoc Collegio 8 kilom. circiter distans, magnam similitudinem primo intuitu cum Blechno spicant Roth. prae se fert.”

Lectotype (designated here):— SPAIN. Galicia: Fig. Ic. “ Homophyllum blechniforme (la mitad de su tamaño)” in Merino (1898: Lám. I).

Notes:— This plant was first discovered and described by 19th-century Spanish botanist P. Merino, from the village of Tabagón (Pontevedra, Spain), who created first a new genus Homophyllum with the species H. blechniforme ( Merino 1898). He later sent some material to pteridologist H. Christ, who treated the species as variety of Blechum spicant ( Christ 1904) , acknowledging Merino the contribution of the plants and descriptions. This variety comprises small plants, with monomorphic or nearly monomorphic fronds less than 20 cm long, scarcely contracted lamina, and typically interrupted sori that cover only a small part of the abaxial surface. It is supposed to be endemic to the most northwest part of the Iberian Peninsula (south of Galicia in Spain and north of Portugal), always rare and with scattered populations, but new recent field trips made for this study rendered the discovery of new populations, quite far from the alleged area. Unlike var. fallax, var. homophyllum does not seem to have a dependence on special environmental conditions.