Palhinhaea divaricata B. Øllgaard (2014: 186)

Øllgaard, Benjamin & Testo, Weston, 2021, The Lycopodiaceae of Panamá, Phytotaxa 526 (1), pp. 1-66 : 54-57

. Palhinhaea divaricata B. Øllgaard (2014: 186) . Fig. 24

Type:— PANAMÁ: Prov. Cocle, 2–1/ 2 m tall, in elfin forest of the windblown crest of Cerro Pajita , region N of El Valle de Anton, 1200 m, 2 Jan 1947, Allen, P. H. 3937 (US holotype, MO isotype) .

Plants with long, robust, arching-looping to scandent runner shoots, rooting at soil contact with long intervals, often forming thickets. Dorsally arising aerial branches initially erect, amply branched, to at least 2 m tall and often ­­­ long scandent, with major lateral branchlet systems often branching at angles exceding 90°. Leaves of main axes borne in irregular alternating whorls of 8–10 leaves, forming 16–20 indistinct longitudinal ranks, sigmoid and recurved to straight and sharply reflexed, 4–5 mm long, 0,8– 1 mm wide, with terete to quadrangular (dried), usually glabrous leaf bases and stems (rarely hairy), upward flattened, subcoriaceous to coriaceous in major branches. Ultimate branchlets 4–7 mm in diam. incl. leaves, the sterile ones often tapering to less than 3 mm in diam. Leaves of ultimate branchlets borne in densely crowded, alternating whorls or low spirals of 4–5, forming 8–10 indistinct longitudinal ranks, acicular to lanceolate, quadrangular (dried) at base or throughout, sometimes with flattened apex, 2.5–4 mm long, 0.3–0.8 mm wide, usually strongly falcate from a spreading or perpendicular to reflexed base, soft herbaceous to coriaceous, usually glabrous. Strobili 4–6 mm long, ­­­ 2–2.5 mm in diam. Sporophylls borne in alternating whorls of 4, forming 8 longitudinal ranks, with ca. 1.5 mm long, 0.5–0.8 mm wide, ovate-acuminate, exterior faces, with shallowly fringedciliate margins. Sporangia ca. 0.5 mm in diam.

­­­ Distribution­­­and­­­habitats.­­­ Palhinhaea divaricata is endemic to Panamá and Costa Rica. It has been found forming thickets at mountain tops, in windswept shrubby vegetation, on roadsides and in elfin forest, 900–2500 m elev.

­­­ Notes. Øllgaard (1995) included this species under Lycopodiella glaucescens (= Palhinhaea glaucescens , northern Andes). It differs from that species in the more compact tree-crown-like growth, with the very wide branching angles, and small strobili. This appears to reflect its generally strongly exposed habitats.

Specimens­­­ studied:— Chiriquí. Cerro Punta, Las Nubes PILA, sendero La Cascada , 2240 m, Florpan 6871 ( AAU, PMA). Cerro Colorado, mining road 20 mi above bridge over Río San Felix , 2000 m, Antonio 2587 ( AAU) . Cerro Colorado, along road N of San Felix, 18.5 mi N of bridge overriver near San Felix, 6.5 mi beyond Chame at road to Escopeta , 1660 m, Croat 74985 (photo ex MO, left hand specimen). Cocle. Cerro Caracoral, 1000 m, Duke & Dwyer 15075 ( NY) . Divide SW of La Mesa , 900 m, Stein & Hamilton 997 ( AAU) . Veraguas: Cerro Tute, summit, ca 3 km N of Santa Fé , 1453 m, Moran, 4059 ( MO) . Cerro Tute, ridge up from former Escuela Agricola, Santa Fé, cloud forest, 1300–1500 m, Hamilton & Dressler 3082 ( AAU, MO, photo US). Cerro Tute , NW of Santa Fé, Dressler 5530 ( PMA) . Parque Nacional Santa Fé, La Sabaneta, entrando por Piragual, trail Piragual — Río Concepción , Hernández 1057 ( PMA) . Top of Cerro Arizona above Santa Fé , 4600 ft, suffruticose and scandent. Growing among shrubs in densely packed Sphagnum , ferns and bromeliads, Hammel & Kress 8561 (photo DUKE) .