Sticherus Presl (1836: 51)

Lima, Lucas Vieira & Salino, Alexandre, 2018, The fern family Gleicheniaceae (Polypodiopsida) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 358 (3), pp. 199-234 : 211-212

3. Sticherus Presl (1836: 51)

Lectotype (designated by Christensen 1906: 54): Sticherus laevigatus (Willd.) Presl (1836: 52) [≡ Mertensia laevigata Willdenow (1810: 75) ] = Sticherus truncatus (Willd.) Nakai (1950: 20) .

= Gleichenia subgen. Mertensia Hooker (1844: 4) not Mertensia Willdenow (1804: 165) , nor Roth (1797: 34). Type:— Gleichenia truncata (Willd.) Spreng (1827:25) . (≡ Mertensia truncata Willd. (1804:169) .

= Gleichenia subgen. Mertensia sect. Holopterygium Diels (1900: 353) . Dicranopteris sect. Holopterygium (Diels) Underwood (1907: 251) . Type:— Gleichenia pubescens (Willd.) Kunth (1815: 29) [≡ Mertensia pubescens Willd. (1810: 73) ].

Plants terrestrial or epipetric. Rhizomes long-creeping, branched, protostelic, with brown, reddish-brown or golden, peltate or basifix, rigid scales. Fronds erect or scrambling, pseudodichotomically branched, rare entire, with isotomic branches, abaxial surface glabrous, glabrescent or pubescent, with whitish, reddish or nigrescent scales on rachis, segments midrib, secondary veins, or laminar tissue, adaxial surface glabrous, or with scales restrict to the rachis or segments midrib, ultimate branches pectinate, with deltoid, lanceolate or linear segments. Buds covered by whitish, reddish or nigrescent scales, concolorous or bicolorous, in that case with apical, central or basal cells with darkening, with or without pseudoestipule, acessory branches absent. Veins 1-forked. Sori round, about 3–6 sporangia per sori, with or without hyaline paraphyses. Spores ellipsoid, monolete, slightly rugose, and minimally perforated; x= 34.

Sticherus is a pantropical genus with about 95 species, 12 of which occur in Brazil.