Lomaridium xiphophyllum (Baker) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich, 2016

Gasper, André Luís De, Dittrich, Viníciusantonio De Oliveira, Smith, Alan R. & Salino, Alexandre, 2016, A classification for Blechnaceae (Polypodiales: Polypodiopsida): New genera, resurrected names, and combinations, Phytotaxa 275 (3), pp. 191-227 : 212-213

16. Lomaridium xiphophyllum (Baker) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich , comb. nov. — Lomaria xiphophylla Baker, J. Bot. 22: 142. 1884. — Blechnum xiphophyllum (Baker) C.Chr., Index Filic. 161. 1905.

Lomariocycas (J.Sm.) Gasper & A.R. Sm. , comb. nov. — Lomaria sect. Lomariocycas J.Sm., Hist. Fil. 305. 1875. — Blechnum sect. Lomariocycas (J.Sm.) C.V.Morton, Amer. Fern J. 49: 68. 1959. — Type: Lomaria boryana (Sw.) Willd. , based on Onoclea boryana Sw. = [ Blechnum boryanaum (Sw.) Schltdl. ] = Lomariocycas tabularis (Thunb.) Gasper & A.R.Sm. Figs. 4D , 7A .

Plants terrestrial, rarely epiphytic; rhizomes erect, stout, trunk-like, non-stoloniferous, densely clothed at apices with bicolorous, acicular, curved, multilayered, entire scales; fronds dimorphic, rarely monomorphic; stipes stout, long, yellowish to dark brown, with scales similar to those of rhizomes at base, distally glabrous or scaly; blades concolorous, oblanceolate to elliptic, pinnate, pinnatisect distally, pinnae gradually reduced proximally to small auricles, apices abruptly reduced to a large, entire segment; rachises with scales on both surfaces or only abaxially, these sometimes deciduous; buds absent; aerophores absent; pinnae sessile to subpetiolulate or partially adnate, linear to oblong, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, margins entire, strongly revolute; veins free, ending before the margins, immersed in blade tissue and practically invisible without clearing; sori linear, indusia linear, continuous, entire or erose; x = 33.

Species number, comments, and distribution:— About 19 species in the Neotropics, Africa, and Madagascar; the genus is absent in Australasia. Lomariocycas is reminiscent of species of Cycas (hence the name), a gymnosperm, because of the erect trunk-like rhizomes, and the rosetted arrangement of the pinnate leaves. The veins are immersed in the blade tissue and practically invisible, and the pinnae are beset with scales. This is closely related to Diploblechnum plus a clade formed by Neoblechnum , Oceaniopteris , Doodia , and Parablechnum (Gasper et al. in press).

Figures

FIGURE 4. General appearance of the genera of Blechnaceae subfamily Blechnoideae (G-S). A. Icarus filiformis (WELT P009478); B. Lomaria nuda (P01557820); C. Lomaridium fragile (MEXU 149093); D. Lomariocycas aurata (QCA7004842); E. Neoblechnum brasiliense (FURB06585); F. Oceaniopteris cartilaginea (P01630912). G. Parablechnum cordatum (FURB06639); H. Sadleria pallida (MEXU 956078); I. Struthiopteris spicant (P01658104). Vouchers are indicated by herbarium barcodes.

FIGURE 7. Habitat of Blechnaceae genera. A. Lomariocycas schomburkii. B. Neoblechnum brasiliense; C. Oceaniopteris gibba; D. Parablechnum glaziovii; E. Sadleria cyatheoides; F. Struthiopteris spicant; F. Photos from:A–B. Luis Adriano Funez; C. Vojtěch Zavadil; D. Vinícius A.O. Dittrich; E. Kit Herring; F. Ralf Knapp. Reproduced with permission from the authors.