Sticherus revolutus (Kunth) Ching (1940: 284)

Gleichenia revoluta Kunth (1815: 29) . Mertensia revoluta (Kunth) Desvaux (1827: 200) .

Type:— ECUADOR. Loja: Saraguro, Humboldt & Bonpland s.n. (holotype P, isotypes B, US).

Gleichenia affinis Mett. ex Kuhn (1869: 167) . Dicranopteris affinis (Mett. ex Kuhn) Maxon (1922a: 47) . Sticherus affinis (Mett. ex Kuhn) Nakai (1950: 13) . Type: — PERU. Puno: San Gabán, Lechler 2265 (holotype B, isotype US).

Gleichenia subandina Sodiro (1883: 5) . Sticherus subandinus (Sodiro) Nakai (1950: 29) . Type:— ECUADOR. Pichincha: El Corazón and Atacazo, Sodiro s.n. (holotype K, photos BM, US).

Dicranopteris costaricensis Underwood (1907: 253) . Gleichenia costaricensis (Underw.) Christensen (1913: 44) . Sticherus costaricensis (Underw.) Chrysler (1944: 483) . Type:— COSTA RICA. Alajuela, Volcán Póas, Smith 6859 (holotype NY, isotypes B, MO, US).

Gleichenia affinis Mett. ex Kuhn var. pachensis Hieronymus (1909: 286) . Type:— COLOMBIA. Bogotá, 2900 m, Lindig 116 (holotype B).

Gleichenia affinis Mett. ex Kuhn var. bogotensis Hieronymus (1909: 286) . Type:— COLOMBIA. Bogotá, Stübel 421 (holotype B).

Sticherus cundinamarcensis (Hieron.) Nakai (1950: 15) . Gleichenia cundinamarcensis Hieronymus (1909: 286) .

Type:— COLOMBIA. Cundinamarca: Excurs. nach den Llanos de San Martin; Weg von Villavicencio u. Umgegend von Villavicencio, oberhalb Batatas, Stübel 588 (holotype B) .

Distribution and ecology:— High mountains in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Hispaniola, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, and southeastern Brazil. Commonly found in open habitats in humid montane forests, around timberline, and in shrubby paramos at (1000) 1400–3300 m.

Notes:— Sticherus revolutus is the most widespread Neotropical species of the genus. Stable morphological characters are the segmented hairlike scales adaxially on the branches, pectinate distal branches, large, trifid aphlebiae on the proximal branches, and the relative length of the branches. However, on Hispaniola there are some distinct small specimens with rugose rhizomes, very short squamophores, 1– or 2-forked pinnae, reduced aphlebiae or aphlebiae lacking, and fully segmented branches.