Salino, Gasper & Dittrich & Smith & Salino, 2016

Gasper, André Luís De, Dittrich, Viníciusantonio De Oliveira, Smith, Alan R. & Salino, Alexandre, 2016, A classification for Blechnaceae (Polypodiales: Polypodiopsida): New genera, resurrected names, and combinations, Phytotaxa 275 (3), pp. 191-227 : 199-200

13. Woodwardia unigemmata (Makino) Nakai, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 39(461): 103. 1925. — Woodwardia radicans var. unigemmata Makino, J. Jap. Bot. 2: 7. 1918.

Blechnaceae subfam. Stenochlaenoideae (Ching) J.P.Roux, Conspect. South. Afr. Pteridophyta, 156. 2001, emend. Gasper, V.A.O.Dittrich & Salino — Stenochlaenaceae Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 16(4): 18. 1978. — Type: Stenochlaena J.Sm., J. Bot. 3: 401. 1841.

Plants epiphytic or terrestrial; rhizomes long-creeping, scandent or not; fronds monomorphic to dimorphic; stipes glabrous to hairy; blades pinnate to bipinnate, sometimes pilose; buds absent (present in Salpichalena hookeriana ); rachises with determinate or indeterminate growth ( Salpichlaena ), glabrous; pinnae articulate to rachises or not ( Salpichlaena ), glabrous or with a pair of glands at their bases ( Stenochlaena ); veins free or with inconspicuous areoles near the costae, simple or furcate, with the ends connected by a marginal vein in Salpichlaena ; sori (sporangia) acrostichoid, without indusia in Stenochlaena , indusia linear in other genera.

Species number, comments, and distribution:— About 12 species, with Salpichlaena in the Neotropics,

Stenochlaena in Asia, Malesia, Australia, and Africa; Telmatoblechnum is pantropical.

Salpichlaena J.Sm. , in Hooker, Gen. Fil.: pl. 93. 1842. — Type: Salpichlaena volubilis (Kaulf.) J.Sm., J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 168. 1841. Figs. 2A , 5D .

Plants terrestrial, climbing by twining rachises; rhizomes long-creeping, non-stoloniferous, bearing dark brown, lanceolate, entire scales; fronds monomorphic to dimorphic, climbing, with indeterminate growth, reaching more than 15 m; stipes stout, long, stramineous, with few scales; blades linear, bipinnate, truncate proximally, apices conform, concolorous; rachises glabrous; buds present or absent; aerophores absent; pinnae not articulate to rachises, petiolulate, linear to linear-lanceolate, flat, margins entire to crenulate; veins simple or furcate, with the ends connected by a marginal vein; sori linear, parallel to commissural veins, protected by elongate indusia, these lacerate or strongly vaulted and virtually tubular, breaking up into narrow recurved strips as the mature spores are released; x = 40.

Species number, comments, and distribution:— Salpichlaena is a neotropical genus with three species ( Moran 1990, Giudice et al. 2008), and is characterized by the rachises with indeterminate growth (reaching 15 m; Moran 1995a) and bipinnate blades.

Figures

FIGURE 2. General appearance of the three genera of Blechnaceae subfamily Stenochlaenoideae.A.Salpichlaena volubilis (MO3588318); B. Stenochlaena scandens (P01420182); C. Telmatoblechnum serrulatum (MO2003917). Vouchers are indicated by herbarium barcodes.

FIGURE 5. Habitat of Blechnaceae genera. A. Anchistea virginica; B. Lorinseria areolata; C. Woodwardia unigemmata; D. Salpichalena volubilis; E. Stenochlaena milnei; F. Telmatoblechnum serrulatum; G. Austroblechnum penna-marina; H. Blechnidium melanopus; I. Blechnopsis orientalis. Photos from: A. The PLANTS Database, USDA, NRCS. 2016; B. James Van Kley; C. Ralf Knapp; D. Luis Adriano Funez; E. Julie F. Barcelona; F. Luis Adriano Funez; G. Vinícius A.O. Dittrich; H. Ralf Knap; I. Ralf Knap. Reproduced with permission from the authors.