Phlegmariurus hugonis B.Øllg., 2016

Øllgaard, Benjamin, 2016, Additions, deletions and changes to the Ecuadorian Lycopodiaceae, Phytotaxa 246 (2), pp. 93-106 : 97-100

Phlegmariurus hugonis B.Øllg. , sp. nov. — Figure 4 .

Diagnose: This species appears related to Phlegmariurus curvifolius , but differs from that by the expanded leaves of basal divisions usually being straight, non-falcate, to 6 mm long, densely crowded, the shoots usually distinctly heterophyllous. The sporophylls in the terminal divisions are usually shorter, to 1.5 mm long.

Type:— ECUADOR. Pichincha: Reserva Maquipucuna, ca. 5 km (airline) ESE of Nanegal, Hda. El Carmen, trail along Río Umachaca, just W of research station, 00°07’N, 78°38’W, 1250–1350 m, 28 February–4 March 1995, Øllgaard, B., Navarrete, H., Kragelund, C. & Ankersen H. 905 (holotype QCA, isotype AAU).

Pendulous, very delicate, flaccidly pendulous epiphytes, at least to 30 cm long, gradually to distinctly heterophyllous, at least to 8 times dichotomous, 5–8 mm in diam. including leaves in the ca. 10 cm long basal divisions, abruptly or gradually tapering to 0.5–1 mm in diam. including leaves in terminal divisions. Stems excl. leaves 0.5–0.7 mm thick at the base, tapering to 0.3–0.5 mm upward, greenish to stramineous, usually concealed by leaves in basal divisions, less so in terminal, interruptedly sporangiate, constricted divisions. Leaves of basal divisions borne in alternating whorls of 5–6, these 1 mm or less apart, forming 10–12 indistinct longitudinal ranks, patent-ascending or slightly recurved, straight to slightly curved, or not predominantly sigmoid or falcate, acicular-filiform, long decurrent, 4–6 × 0.2–0.3 mm, abaxially convex, flat or canaliculate above. Vegetative leaves of terminal constricted divisions alternate, or borne in alternating irregular whorls of 3, closely appressed, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate and acuminate, clasping with the base, 1.5–2 (–2.5) × ca. 0.5 mm, usually sharply carinate, short to long decurrent. Sporangia borne in separate, short, continuous zones of constricted divisions. Sporophylls conform, or usually shorter and wider, to broadly ovate and short-acuminate, appressed, 1.0–1.5(–2.0) × 0.3–0.5 mm, scarcely exceeding the sporangia, abaxially carinate. Sporangia 0.4–0.6 mm wide.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — ECUADOR. Imbabura: Lower Intag Valley, Playa Luisa, below Magnolia, 975 m, Drew E-666 ( US). Pichincha: Nanegalito, 2 km along road to Nanegal, between road and Río Alamví, 1200–1400 m, Filskov, SØndergaard & Gregersen 37091 ( QCA).

Etymology: —This species is named in honour of my friend and companion during numerous field trips in Ecuador, and co-collector of the type of the species, Dr. Hugo Navarrete Zambrano, Dean of the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito.

Notes: —This species belongs to the Phlegmariurus acerosus group and shares the slender growth habit and filiform sporangiate divisions with these. The other species of this group are all either entirely homophyllous or gradually heterophyllous.

The collection Drew E-666 ( US) was tentatively referred to Phlegmariurus curvifolius (Kunze) B. Øllgaard (2012b: 14) (syn. Huperzia curvifolia ( Kunze 1834: 5) Holub (1985: 72) in the Flora of Ecuador ( Øllgaard 1988).

Phlegmariurus killipii (Herter) B. Øllgaard (2012a: 480) . Urostachys killippii Herter (1953: 128) . Huperzia killipii (Herter) B. Øllgaard (1987: 169) .— Figure 5 .

Specimens examined:— ECUADOR. Napo: Road between Baeza–LagoAgrio road and village of Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda, on road to P.N. Sumaco Napo Galeras, 0.6 km from main highway, between main highway and bridge over Río Quijos, Croat & Hannon 93502 (MO). This is the first record for the species in Ecuador.

Notes: —Outside Ecuador it is known from the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela and French Guiana. It is a delicate slender pendulous epiphyte, resembling some of the small members of the group of Phlegmariurus taxifolius group, but differing by its usually homophyllous shoots with elliptic to oblanceolate, to 10 mm long proximal leaves.

Phlegmariurus linifolius ( Linnaeus 1763: 1563) B. Øllgaard (2012a: 480) var. planifolius (B.Øllg.) B. Øllgaard (2012b: 16) . Huperzia linifolia (Linnaeus) var. planifolius B. Øllgaard (2004: 35) .— Fig. 6 .

This variety differs from the type variety by the flat, transversely oriented leaves, that are usually not twisted at the base, and usually symmetrically lanceolate to linear-lanceolate. Also the stems are usually slightly thicker, to 1.5 mm, and the sporangia larger to 2 mm wide.

In Ecuador this variety is known from few collections in the provinces of Pichincha and Chimborazo. It is further found in the Andes of Venezuela and Colombia in montane forests at 1400–3000 m.

Specimens examined:— ECUADOR. Chimborazo: Cañon of the Río Chanchan, ca 5 km N of Huigra , 1500– 2000 m, Camp E-3259 ( NY) ; Vicinity of Huigra, Hda. Licay, Rose & Rose 23174 ( US). Pichincha: M. Pichincha , 2400–3000 m, Mille 76 ( US) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Phlegmariurus hugonis. A. Habit. Øllgaard et al. 905 (holotype QCA). B. Basal division with expanded leaves. Øllgaard et al. 905 (isotype AAU). C. Terminal, partly sporangiate divisions. Øllgaard et al. 905 (isotype AAU)

FIGURE 5. Phlegmariurus killipii. A. growth habit. B. Leaves of basal division. C. Terminal sporangiate division. Schlim 1030 (BR)

FIGURE 6. Phlegmariurus linifolius var. planifolius.A. Leaves of basal division. B. Terminal sporangiate division. Funck & Schlim 984 (BR).