1.2. Dicksonia karsteniana var. arachneosa (Sodiro) Lehnert, comb. nov.

Dicksonia sellowiana var. arachneosa Sodiro, Anales Univ. Centr. Ecuador 7: 83. 1893, Sodiro, Crypt. Vasc. Quitenses, 44. 1893.

TYPE: ECUADOR. “ Crece en la región arbórea superior del volcán Corazón ”, L. Sodiro s. n. (not located).

Trunks rarely more than 2 m tall, skirt of dead fronds well developed, indument of hairs on frond axes well developed, adaxially pale brown to grayish white, spreading, abaxially mostly white or (in northeastern Colombia and Venezuela) pale orange-brown, spreading to matted, if lost or abraded usually leaving a scabrous surface, hairs on costules abaxially usually dense, thick and appressed, hairs on midveins and lateral veins variable, few to many; sori 1.5–2.0 mm diam. Figures 1B, F, G, 5B.

Etymology —The name refers to the often cobwebby appearance of the white hairs on the frond axes.

Distribution and Habitat — Venezuela to northern Peru, maybe more widely distributed, in temperate upper mountain rainforest to sub-páramo and open grassland at 2400–3300 (–3600) m (Fig. 6).

Specimens Examined — Colombia. — CUNDINAMARCA: Alto de Cuchuco hacia La Aguadita, km 34 de la carretera, 2600 m, 24 Mar 1974, C. E. Acosta-Arteaga 203 (P) .— MAGDALENA: Serran´ıa de Perijá, Correg. Manaure, Sabana Rubia, 2500 m, 05 Mar 1959, R. Romero-Castaneda ~ 7445 (COL) .— NARINO ~: Pasto, Corregimiento El Encano, Vda. Santa Clara, 01°09 ' 41"N, 77°09 ' 21"W, 2900–3100 m, 27 Jun 2003, J. Benavides 3349 (HUA) ; Laguna de la Cocha, 01°06 ' 01"N, 77°09 ' 49"W, 2400 m, 05 Jan 1945, J.A. Ewan 16663 (UC) ; 2800 m, 01 May 1939, A. H. G. Alston 8322 (MO); Laguna de la Cocha, 01°09 ' 51"N, 77°09 ' 23"W, 2900–2950 m, 16 Feb 2015, M. Lehnert et al. 3153 (HUA, BONN, Z); 01°09 ' 45"N, 77°09 ' 09"W, 2800–3000 m, 18 Jun 2007, D. Molina et al. 503 (HUA) .— NORTE DE SANTANDER: Mun. Pamplonita, Vereda Pica Pica, 07°25 ' 37.5676"N, 72°34 ' 39.3341"W, 2700 m, 03 Dec 2011, L.G. Lopez Herrera 414 (COL) .— PUTUMAYO: Sibundoy, 01°13 ' 25"N, 76°54 ' 60"W, 2400 m, 04 May 1939, A. H. G. Alston 8387 (US?) .— SANTANDER: Mun. Tona, Santa Rita, por la carretera de Bucaramanga a Pamplona, antes del Páramo de Berlin, 3160 m, M.T. Murillo and R. Jaramillo-M. 1221 (COL) .— TOLIMA: Murillo, Vda. Pajonales, Finca El Fifi, 04°52 ' 50"N, 75°09 ' 17"W, 2810 m, 24 Mar 2003, E. Correa 2555 (HUA) . Venezuela. — TRUJILLO: Pass above Boconó, [ca. 09°14 ' 44"N, 70°12 ' 08"W,] 2550 m, 21 Jan 1939, A. H. G. Alston 6483 (COL) . Ecuador. — AZUAY: Gualaquiza, 02°58.579’S, 78°48.478’W, 3200–3300 m, 29 Oct 1955, A. Beaverhausen 3810 (STU). — CANAR ~: Azogues-Pindilig road, km 8–10 from Azogues, 02°42’S, 078°47’W, 3000–3100 m, 08 Jun 1979, B. LØjtnant and U. Molau 14245 (AAU, MO). — CARCHI: Colonia Huaquena ~, 00°35 ' 05"N, 77°42’W, 3300 m, 29 Jun 1994, A.L. Fay 4319 (MO); 3200–3500 m, 02 Jun 1989, G. Tipáz 104 (MO); Tulcán, 00°50’N, 78°03’W, 3150–3250 m, 17 May 1973, L. Holm-Nielsen, S. Jeppensen, B. LØjtnant, B. Øllgaard 5645 (UC). — LOJA: Cajanuma, 04°07’S, 79°10’W, 2980 m, 15 March 2008, N. Cumbicus, R. Sinche 457 (STU), same locality, 2880 m, 08 Dec 2010, M. Lehnert 2323 (STU). — PICHINCHA: “In silv. suband. m. Corazón”, Dec 1907, L. Sodiro s.n. (PH [image], S [image]). — ZAMORA-CHINCHIPE: Cerro Toledo, along the road down to Vilcabamba, 04°23.105’S, 79°07.536’W, 2900 m, 03 Jul 2014, M. Lehnert 2833 (BONN, LOJA) . Peru. — AMAZONAS: Mendoza, road Molinopampampa-Mendoza, 06°14.083’S, 77°36.035’W, 2487 m, 08 November 2010, M. Lehnert 2015 (USM), M. Lehnert 2017 (USM) .

Notes —We have not been able to locate and consult any confident type material of the basionym for this variety. However, the characteristic appearance of plants and specimens with the persisting white woolly hair is described by Sodiro (1893) and clearly visible in the consulted authentic Sodiro material from the locus classicus (“In silv. suband. m. Corazón”, Dec 1907, L. Sodiro s.n. [PH, S]).