Phlegmariurus polycarpos, Kunze, 1835

Øllgaard, Benjamin & Testo, Weston, 2021, The Lycopodiaceae of Panamá, Phytotaxa 526 (1), pp. 1-66 : 35-36

2.­­­ Phlegmariurus polycarpos ­­­ (Kunze) ­­­ B. Øllgaard (2012: 18). ­­­ Fig. 7A

Lycopodium polycarpos Kunze (1835: 5) .— Urostachys polycarpos (Kunze) Herter (1949a: 76) .— Huperzia polycarpos (Kunze) B. Øllgaard (1987: 169) . Type:— PERU: Peruvia subandina, In sylv. apertioribus, Cassapi, Jul. 1829, Poeppig 1124 (W).

Urostachys cuatrecasasii Herter (1953 [1954]: 123).— Lycopodium cuatrecasasii (Herter) Morton (1964: 72) . Type:— COLOMBIA: Valle, Cord. Occidental, Vertiente Occidental, hoya del río Digua, Piedra de Moler, Aug. 1943, 900– 1180 m, Cuatrecasas 15143A ( US holotype).

Pendulous or recurved, up to 30 cm long. Shoots homophyllous, almost equally thick throughout, 10–15 mm in diam. incl. leaves. Stems excl. leaves 1–1.5 mm thick near the base, tapering to 0.5–1 mm, slightly ridged by decurrent leaf bases. Leaves almost uniform throughout, densely crowded, borne in alternating, irregular, often oblique whorls of 6–7 in basal divisions, these 1–1.5 mm apart, distally (3–) 4, here ca. 1 mm apart, wide-spreading to ascending, often subsecund, usually oblique-falcately curved, usually with vertical lamina due to a twist at the base, linear to filiform, evenly tapering, 6–10 (–12) × 0.4–0.5 mm, often with an abaxially prominent vein near the leaf base, adaxially flat or shallowly canaliculate, with green decurrent leaf bases. Sporangia ca 1 mm wide.

­­­ Distribution:— Costa Rica, Panamá, Colombia to Bolivia.

­­­ Habitats:—Epiphytic in cloud forest. 700–1200 m elev.

­­­ Notes:—Related to Phlegmariurus wilsonii , but usually pendulous, and smaller in all parts, with basally twisted, falcately ascending leaves. From P. sarmentosus it is distinguished by the lack of leaf base auricles. From P. mollicomus it differs in the more patent, twisted leaves, with much less prominent vein.

­­­ Specimens­­­ studied:— Chiriquí: Near Fortuna Dam, trail across Quebrada Hornito, 1150 m, McPherson 10580 (MO). Camino to finca Landau, N.E. of Camp Fortuna, dam site, 1100 m, Correa et al. 2135 (PMA). NW of Campamento Fortuna, dam site, 1000–1200 m, Correa et al. 2598 (PMA). Potrero de Pitty S of dam site in Fortuna, Mendoza et al. 213 (PMA). Coclé: Region N of El Valle de Anton, near La Mesa, 1000 m, Allen 2070, 2833 (MO, US). Mountains above El Valle, Stimson 5013 (PMA). 7 km N of El Cope, Alto Calvario, 700–850 m, Folsom 4115 (MO). Cerro Caracoral, near La Mesa, N of El Valle de Anton, 800–1100 m, Knapp 1080 (MO). El Valle–La Mesa road, 730–790 m, Spellman et al. 595 (MO). Veraguas: NW of Santa Fe, Mori & Kallunki 3900 (MO). Panamá: Capira, NE side of Cerro Trinidad, 900 m, Foster 2120 (photo DUKE)