Didymoglossum kirkii (Hook.) Ebihara & Dubuisson

Ahamada H. Saïd, Sabine Hennequin, Germinal Rouhan & Jean-Yves Dubuisson, 2017, Disentangling the diversity and taxonomy of Hymenophyllaceae (Hymenophyllales, Polypodiidae) in the Comoros, European Journal of Taxonomy 313, pp. 1-53 : 18

Didymoglossum kirkii (Hook.) Ebihara & Dubuisson

Didymoglossum kirkii (Hook.) Ebihara & Dubuisson in Ebihara et al. , Blumea 51: 236 (2006). –

Trichomanes kirkii Hook. in Hooker & Baker , Synopsis filicum 3: 78 (1867). – Type: ‘Comoro Isl., Johanna Isl.’, J. Kirk s.n. (holo-: K000435666!).

Crepidomanes seu Microgonium kirkii (Hook.) Copel., The Philippine Journal of Science 67: 104 (1938), nom. nud. Note: these combinations were never validly published but just suggested in a synonym list by Copeland, and were nevertheless cited by Tardieu-Blot (1951).

Short description

Lithophytic or epiphytic; long-creeping filiform rhizomes, rootless and densely covered by dense black trichomes, bearing widely separated pending fronds; fronds well stipitate, up to 9 cm long, lanceolate to obovate, entire with undulate margins to mostly pinnate, less often pinnate-pinnatifid or bipinnate, with pinnate venation, and false veins parallel to true veins in addition to a submarginal false vein; few sori at the apex of pinnae, epitactic, cylindrical with a slightly dilated mouth.

Global distribution

Comoros.

Distribution in Comoros

Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mayotte, Mohéli.

Additional specimens examined

COMOROS: [ANJOUAN?], s. loc., 1886, L.Humblot 1552 (P00139630, P00139631, P00139632, P00312476). ANJOUAN, s. loc., May 1850, LH.Boivin s.n. (P00301470, P00301471); s. loc., 1905?, M.Lavanchie s.n. (P00301469). GRANDE COMORE, Base du Massif du Karthala, 10 Jun. 2006, J.­N.Labat et al. 3807 (P00527430); Versant ouest du volcan Karthala, bois proche de Convalescence, 24 Oct. 2008, M.Pignal et al. 3401 (P02439792); Massif forestier à l’ouest de la route régional 125 (départ de la piste à 2–3 km au sud de Tsinimouapanga), 10 Nov. 2008, G.Rouhan et al. 925 (P00684886). MAYOTTE, Qualey, Aug. 1847, L.H.Boivin 2883 (P00312471); Combani, Le long du Mroni Mouala, 17 Apr. 1999, M.Pignal et al. 1209 (P00139596); Rivière Camboni, 12 Nov. 2002, F.Rakotondrainibe et al. 6673 (P00311387). MOHÉLI, Piste entre Miringoni et le Chalet St Antoine, 4 Nov. 2008, G.Rouhan et al. 879 (P02439804); Chalet St Antoine, 5 Nov. 2008, M.Pignal et al. 3485 (P02439795).

Note

Didymoglossum kirkii , the only Hymenophyllaceae endemic to the Comoros, is the largest Comorian Didymoglossum species with fertile stipitate fronds up to 9 cm long which are entire or most often pinnatifid, or pinnate to bipinnate ( Fig. 3A ). In addition, rachises are often clearly distinct in D. kirkii compared to other Didymoglossum species.

Figures

Fig. 3. Representative Comorian Hymenophyllaceae as observed in situ in rainforests (here from Grande Comore or Mohéli). A. Endemic Didymoglossum kirkii (Hook.) Ebihara & Dubuisson (G. Rouhan et al. 925, P 00684886). B. Hymenophyllum sibthorpioides (Bory ex Willd.) Mett. ex Kuhn (G. Rouhan et al. 888, P 02439806). C. Didymoglossum hildebrandtii (Kuhn) Ebihara & Dubuisson (M. Pignal et al. 3456, P 02439793). D. Hymenophyllum kuhnii C. Chr. (G. Rouhan 897, P 02439807). E. Crepidomanes bipunctatum (Poir.) Copel. (G. Rouhan et al. 882, P 02439805). F. Hymenophyllum hirsutum (L.) Sw. (M. Pignal et al. 3487, P 02439796). Photographs by G. Rouhan. Scale bars = 1 cm.