Argyrochosma flava (Hook.) M.Kessler & A.R.Sm.

Kessler, Michael, Smith, Alan R. & Prado, Jefferson, 2017, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXVII. Pteridaceae, Phytotaxa 332 (3), pp. 201-250 : 206

Argyrochosma flava (Hook.) M.Kessler & A.R.Sm. , stat. & comb. nov.

= Notholena nivea (Poir.) Desv. var. flava Hook., Sp. Fil. 5: 112. 1864.

= Argyrochosma nivea (Poir.) Desv. var. flava (Hook.) Ponce, Hickenia 2(38): 177. 1996.

Range: —Andes from Colombia to Bolivia ( CH, CO, LP, OR, PO, SC, TA) and central Argentina; central Brazil.

Ecology: —Common; terrestrial in arid intermontane valleys, mostly in open areas among rocks or in steep rocky walls; 800–4200 m.

Notes: —Blades 3-pinnate; ultimate segments yellow-farinose abaxially, suborbicular to broadly elliptic; rhizome scales not crispate. This species and A. tenera are often treated as varieties of A. nivea , but they differ consistently in characters of blade dissection, farina color, and rhizome scale margins. They have different, but overlapping ranges; when growing sympatrically (sometimes all three side-by-side), they maintain their differences. Argyrochosma flava appears to be a sexual diploid, n = 27, based on spore size and number of spores per sporangium ( Sigel et al. 2011).