Pecluma oranensis (de la Sota) de la Sota, Hickenia

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

Pecluma oranensis (de la Sota) de la Sota, Hickenia 2(31): 137. 1995.

= Polypodium oranense de la Sota, Opera Lilloana 5: 168, f. 31. 1961.

Range: — Bolivia ( CH), northwestern Argentina.

Ecology: —Rare, known from a single Bolivian collection: Serrano et al. 6930 (HSB, MO, UC); epiphytic in Bosque Montano Tucumano-Boliviano, the same association noted by de la Sota (1977) for Argentina; 1850 m.

Notes: —Characterization of this species is from the single known Bolivian specimen (M. Serrano 6930, HSB, MO, UC). It differs from P. venturii by smaller, darker, decidedly comose and more rigid rhizome scales, more herbaceous and thinner (vs. more rigid) blades, and visible (vs. obscure) venation with more oblique lateral veins. The fronds are very small, only ca. 15 cm long, fully fertile, with ca. 1–2 pairs of greatly reduced proximal pinnae (to 2 mm long), and 2–4 pairs of slightly reduced proximal pinnae above that; the longest pinnae are ca. 20 × 3 mm, at mid-blade. The species is otherwise known only from northwestern Argentina, from Pcias. Jujuy and Salta, 1500–1750 m.

Pecluma barituensis O.G.Martínez & de la Sota , apparently closely related to P. oranensis and also from northwestern Argentina, was recently described by Martínez & de la Sota (2007). It differs from P. oranensis by having the medial pinnae narrow and proximal pinnae auriculiform ( Martínez & de la Sota 2007). It seems likely that this might also occur in southeastern Bolivia.