Elaphoglossum nimbaense J.P.Roux, 2014

Roux, Jacobus P., 2014, Elaphoglossum nimbaense J. P. Roux, sp. nov. (Pteridophyta: Dryopteridaceae), a new fern species from Liberia, West Africa, Adansonia (3) 36 (1), pp. 7-13 : 8-10

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/a2014n1a1
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B97D87CB-FFDA-FFB4-22C3-FBE01F6BF966
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Elaphoglossum nimbaense J.P.Roux
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Elaphoglossum nimbaense J.P.Roux View in CoL , sp. nov.

( Figs 1-4 View FIG View FIG View FIG )

TYPUS. — Liberia. Sanniquelle Distr., Nimba Mountains , 900 m, epiphyte in the central part of the crown, 15.IX.1969, Johansson D. 644 (holo-, BOL 98466) .

PARATYPES. — Liberia. Sanniquelle Distr., Nimba Mts , 1 200 m, epiphyte, on a Parinari excelsa , in the central part of the crown, 8.V. 1970, Johansson D. 825 ( BOL 98467). ETYMOLOGY. — From the Nimba Mountains where the species occur .

DESCRIPTION

Plants epiphytic. Rhizome creeping, irregularly branched, to 40 mm long, to 2.5 mm in diameter, set with roots, phyllopodia, and scales, the phyllopodia dark brown to black, 7-10 mm apart, terete, to 7 mm long, with pronounced lobed and fleshy aerophores at the base, the scales imbricate, crustaceous, atrocastaneous to black and nitid centrally, the margins paler, sessile, pseudopeltate, cordate-imbricate, broadly ovate, to 2.5 mm long,

Roux† P. J.

to 1 mm wide, the margins variously set with clavate gland-like cells, and short or long, filiform, pluricellular, uniseriate outgrowths terminating in a clavate gland-like cell, the apex short-filiform, terminating in a clavate gland-like cell; fronds: the sterile erect, up to 180 mm long, the fertile mostly overtop the sterile, up to 200 mm long; stipes: firm, brown, that of the sterile frond to 15 mm long, to 1.2 mm in diameter, adaxially shallowly sulcate, glabrous, that of the fertile frond to 80 mm long, to 1.2 mm in diameter, shallowly sulcate adaxially, initially sparsely set with scales similar to those on the phyllopodia, glabrous later; laminae: coriaceous, somewhat carnose, the sterile oblong-attenuate to narrowly elliptic, attenuate, to 170 mm long, to 17 mm wide, the apex acuminate, the margins strongly recurved in dried material, the epidermal cells isodiametric to slightly elongated, the transverse walls shallowly sinuate, the abaxial epidermal cells isodiametric, the transverse walls shallowly sinuate, stomata mostly of the copolocytic type, (50-)55.3(-60) µm long, adaxially with spaced appressed scales, the scales ferrugineous, substellate, to 0.2 mm in diameter, the outgrowths pluricellular, uniseriate, terminating in a clavate gland-like cell, glabrous later, similar to but marginally larger scales occur on the adaxial surface of the laminae, the fertile narrowly elliptic, attenuate to narrowly cuneate, to 115 mm long, to 13 mm wide, the apex acuminate, adaxially with scales similar to those on the adaxial surface of the sterile laminae, the adaxial epidermis reticulate (impresso-punctate), the cells isodiametric and significantly larger than the adaxial epidermal cells of the sterile laminae, the transverse walls straight; costae raised and narrowly sulcate adaxially, pronounced abaxially and somewhat angular in dried material; venation obscure in sterile and fertile laminae, vein branches forked, free. Sori acrostichoid, receptacular indumentum absent; sporangium stalk simple, 3-seriate below the capsule, the capsule circular to broadly elliptic in lateral view, with (10-)12(-13) indurated annulus cells, epistomium (3-)4-celled, hypostomium, (3-)4-celled. Spores brown, ellipsoidal, monolete, perispore with narrow reticulate cristae, perforations and spines absent, endospore (44-)45.6(-48) × (28-) 29.8(-32) µm.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

Elaphoglossum nimbaense sp. nov. is known from the Nimba Mountains in Liberia, occurring at elevations ranging between 900 and 1 200 m ( Fig. 3 View FIG ). The mountain range extends to Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire and the species may also occur in these countries. The vegetation at this altitude on Mt Nimba is of the Guineo-Congolian short forest and scrub forest type (White 1983) which is dominated by Parinari excelsa Sabine. The species is reported as being an epiphyte in the crowns of these trees. The Nimba Mountains form part of the Western African Forests hotspot ( Myers et al. 2000), a region characterised by its unique fauna and flora, and high levels of species endemism.