Selaginella cabrerensis Hieron.

Valdespino, Ivan A., 2015, Novelties in Selaginella (Selaginellaceae - Lycopodiophyta), with emphasis on Brazilian species, PhytoKeys 57, pp. 93-133 : 105-106

Selaginella cabrerensis Hieron.

Selaginella cabrerensis Hieron., Hedwigia 43: 29. 1904. - Type. Colombia. Tolima: Río Cabrera, 500-1000 m, Jan 1886, F.C. Lehmann 6406 (holotype: B! [B 20 0095103]; isotypes: K! [K000589282], US! [US00135715]).

Selaginella arroyoana M. Kessler & A.R. Sm., Edinburgh J. Bot. 63: 87. 2006. - Type: Bolivia. Depto. Santa Cruz: Prov. Velazco, Parque Nacional Noel Kempff M., Campamento Las Gamas, 14°48'11"S, 60°23'35"W, 900 m, 30 Mar 1993, L. Arroyo & K. Keil, 202 (holotype: LPB-n.v.; isotypes: MO!, NY! [NY01104443], UC [UC 1613683]-image!, USZ-n.v.).

Selaginella chiquitana M. Kessler, A.R. Sm. & M. Lehnert, Edinburgh J. Bot. 63: 91. 2006. - Type: Bolivia. Depto. Santa Cruz: Prov. Chiquitos, Serranía de Santiagos, en la mesa de Arco de Piedra, 18°20'S, 59°35'W, 800 m, 23 Feb 2003, M. Lehnert 642 (holotype: UC [UC 1717964]-image!; isotypes: GOET-n.v., LPB-n.v.).

Additional specimens examined.

COLOMBIA. Cundinamarca: Pandi, 900 m, 9 Feb 1876, André 1817 (BM, NY), Mpio. Pandi, near Río Sumapaz, 800 m, 27 Sep 1975, Acosta-Arteaga 1020 (COL). Meta: Sierra de la Macarena, 900 m, 6 Feb 1950, Philipson 2388 (BM, COL). Tolima: Chicoral, 450 m, 4 Mar 1949, Haught 6333 (BM), near Río Coello, 13 May 1949, Haught 6439 (BM); Valle de San Juan, near Minas del Sapo, 1400 m, 10 Jun 1966, Echeverry 1303 (COL). FRENCH GUIANA. Extension nord-ouest des Petites Montagnes Tortue, 1 km S of RN 2 and 16.5 km WNW de Régina (Guyana), 04°20'N, 52°16'W, 90 m, 14 Mar 2006, Boudrie 4177 (NY). BOLIVIA. Depto. Santa Cruz: Prov. Velazco, Parque Nacional Noel Kempff M., Campamento La Torre, 13°39'14"S, 60°49'50"W, 250 m, 21 Nov 1993, Killen et al. 6200 (MO, UC), Serranía de Caparuch, 13°39'00"S, 60°54'00"W, 850 m, 21 Apr 1993, Killen et al. 5433 (MO, UC). BRAZIL. Goiás: Mpio. Caldas Novas, Rodovia GO-413 (GO-15) Caldas Novas-Mazagão, ca. 18 km de Caldas Novas, margem do Rio, 17°44'S, 48°36'W, ca. 550 m, 23 Jan 1996, Pietrobom 2648 (PMA, UFP); Côrrego Itaquera, ca. 30 km N of Formosa, 850 m, 2 May 1966, Irwin et al. 15552 (NY); Mpio. of Pirenópolis, Parque Estadual da Serra dos Pireneus, 15°51'13"S, 48°51'30"W, 4 Feb 2011, da Silva et al. 7295 (BHCB), ca. 15 km NE of Corumbá de Goiás, 1250-1300 m, 14 May 1973, Anderson 10255 (NY), ca. 10 km NE of Corumbá de Goiás, Río Corumbá, 1050 m, 15 May 1973, Anderson 10341 (K, NY, UC). Mato Grosso: ca. 5 km N of Barra do Garças, 500 m, 7 May 1973, Anderson 9899 (NY); First Igarapé on road to Cuiaba, 600 m, 23 Oct 1973, Prance et al. 19335 (NY, UC); Chapada dos Guimarães, 13 Feb 1975, Hatschbach et al. 36114 (NY), Veu de Novia, 720 m, 25 Oct 1973, Prance et al. 19392 (NY). Mato Grosso do Sul: Mpio. Costa Rica, Rodovia MS Cassilândia-Alto Araguaia, Povoado Laje, Rio Laje, [18°47'S, 54°14'W], 5 Sep 1993, Rodrigues & Pietrobom 551 (PMA, UFP), 18°47'S, 54°14'W, ca. 715 m, 5 Sep 1993, Rodrigues & Pietrobom 563 (PMA, UFP), Rodovia MS-306, Cachoeira no Rio Laje, 18°47'S, 54°13'W, 500 m, ca. 500 m, 20 Feb 1996, Nonato et al. 262 (PMA, UFP); Mpio. Rio Verde do Mato Grosso, Rodovia Sete Quedas-Rio Negro, ca. 30 km da cidade, Fazenda Mirante, Cachoeira do Cervo, ca. 18°55'S, 54°53'W, ca 370 m, 7 Sep 1993, Rodrigues & Pietrobom 660 (PMA, UFP), Serra Pimenteira, Cachoeira do Cervo, ca. 18°55'S, 54°53'W, ca. 400 m, 22 Feb 1994, Rodrigues & Pietrobom 733 (PMA, UFP).

Discussion.

Alston et al. (1981) considered Selaginella cabrerensis endemic to Colombia and Smith (1995), Cremers et al. (2007), and Mostacero (2008) recorded it in Venezuela. However, as already pointed out in Smith (1995), I consider specimens determined as such from Venezuela as a different taxon (i.e., Selaginella boomii ).

Kessler et al. (2006) considered Selaginella cabrerensis as a synonym of Selaginella xiphophylla Baker and then described Selaginella arroyoana M. Kessler & A.R. Sm. and Selaginella chiquitana M. Kessler, A.R. Sm. & M. Lehnert from Bolivia. Later, Huaylla et al. (2010) synonymized Selaginella chiquitana under Selaginella arroyoana . Valdespino (2015c) suggested that Selaginella arroyoana and Selaginella chiquitana might be the same taxon as Selaginella cabrerensis , and not conspecific with Selaginella xiphophylla . After examining type material of all these taxa and SEM studies, I conclude that: a) Selaginella arroyoana and Selaginella chiquitana are conspecific with Selaginella cabrerensis , which has nomenclatural priority; b) Selaginella cabrerensis and Selaginella xiphophylla are related but distinct taxa as advanced by Valdespino (1993, 2015c); and c) Selaginella cabrerensis and Selaginella xiphophylla and, at least, Selaginella densifolia Spruce, Selaginella falcata , and Selaginella kochii Hieron., form a morphologically similar alliance ( Valdespino 1993) here termed the " Selaginella falcata group". This group is currently under revision (Valdespino in prep.), and a preliminary key to distinguish them is provided below.

I conclude that Selaginella cabrerensis is more widely distributed in South America than previously thought, occurring in French Guiana and of more widespread occurrence in Brazil (states of Goiás and Mato Grosso); it was previously known in Brazil only from Mato Grosso do Sul, where it was identified as Selaginella chiquitana by Assis and Labiak (2009).