Phlegmariurus robustus (Klotzsch) B.Øllg., Phytotaxa

Øllgaard, Benjamin, Boudrie, Michel & Cremers, Georges, 2020, The Lycopodiaceae of Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, Phytotaxa 433 (2), pp. 101-134 : 123-124

12. Phlegmariurus robustus (Klotzsch) B.Øllg., Phytotaxa 57: 18. 2012.— Lycopodium robustum Klotzsch, Linnaea 18: 518. 1844.— Huperzia robusta (Klotzsch) Holub, Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 20: 76. 1985. Type:— GUYANA: “Im brittischen Gujana”, Schomburgk 1209 (B [B 20 0113929]). Fig. 10A .

Lycopodium phelpsii Vareschi, Acta Bot. Venez. 1: 84. 1966.— Huperzia phelpsii (Vareschi) Holub, Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 20: 75. 1985. Type:— VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Summit of Cerro Yaví, 2250 m, epiphyte, February 1947, Phelps s.n. (holotype VEN [VEN164551]).

Plants robust, erect, to 1 m tall, or becoming recurved to pendent, or entirely pendent. Shoots sparsely branched at base, distally with densely branched tassel-like fertile divisions, gradually or ± abruptly heterophyllous, the basal divisions with expanded leaves ca. 25–50 mm in diam. incl. leaves, distally constricted to ca. 4–7 mm incl. the reduced, imbricate leaves. Stems excl. leaves 3–5 mm thick at the base, upward tapering to ca. (1–) 2 mm, rigid, stramineous to dark brown. Expanded leaves of basal divisions borne in alternating, irregular whorls of 4 or 5, these 3–5 mm apart, spreading or ± perpedicular to somewhat ascending, usually not twisted at the base, linear to linear-lanceolate, usually straight, 15–25 × 2–3 mm, acute, stiffly coriaceous, nitid, with smooth, revolute margins, often adaxially concave, with prominent vein abaxially. Terminal constricted divisions subterete, the leaves subdecussate or rarely in irregular alternating whorls of 3 near the base of constricted divisions densely crowded, sporangiate almost throughout, imbricate, clasping the sporangia, broadly ovate-lanceolate to broadly subcordate, with obtuse to acute apex, abaxially rounded to carinate, the shortest ones ca. 2–4 × ca. 1.5–2 mm, equalling or slightly exceeding the sporangia. Sporangia 1.5–2 mm wide.

Distribution: — Endemic to Venezuelan Guayana (AM-BO), and adjacent Guyana (Roraima).

Habitats: — Epiphytic and recurved to pendent, or terrestrial and erect or recurved, in ravines or open situations on sandstone mesetas, 1900–2300 m elev.

Specimens examined: — In Guyana known only from the type.

Figures

FIGURE 10. A. Phlegmariurus robustus—(Venezuela, Stergios et al. 15769, AAU).A. Growth habit.A1. Close-up of basal division with expanded leaves.A2. Close-up of sporangiate division.—B. Phlegmariurus killipii—(Colombia, Schlim 1030, BR). B. Growth habit. B1. Close-up of basal division. B2. Terminal sporangiate division. Drawing by K. Tind.