Crepidomanes minutum (Blume) K.Iwats. var. mascarenensis Pynee & Dubuisson

Ahamada H. Saïd, Sabine Hennequin, Germinal Rouhan & Jean-Yves Dubuisson, 2017, Disentangling the diversity and taxonomy of Hymenophyllaceae (Hymenophyllales, Polypodiidae) in the Comoros, European Journal of Taxonomy 313, pp. 1-53 : 12-13

Crepidomanes minutum (Blume) K.Iwats. var. mascarenensis Pynee & Dubuisson

Crepidomanes minutum (Blume) K.Iwats. var. mascarenensis Pynee & Dubuisson in Pynee et al. , Phytotaxa 62: 28 (2012). – Type: Mauritius, Mt. Lagrave, 18 Jan. 1974, D. Lorence s.n. (holo-: MAU- 0009282!).

Short description

Epiphytic; long-creeping filiform rhizomes, rootless and densely covered by dense black trichomes, bearing widely separated pending fronds; fronds with terete wingless stipes, and rare proliferation, up to 2.5 cm long, flabellate, palmatisect to digitate (less often pinnatifid), with sometimes, when dry, folds parallel to veins; sori few, paratactic, tubular to funnelform with a slightly dilated mouth.

Global distribution

Western Indian Ocean (the type variety is widespread from Africa to Pacific islands).

Distribution in Comoros

Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mayotte.

Additional specimens examined

COMOROS: ANJOUAN, s. loc., 1850, L.H.Boivin s.n. (P00139635). GRANDE COMORE, Forêt de la Grille, May 1963, J.Bosser 17982 (P00139636). MAYOTTE, s. loc., 1882, E.Marie s.n. (P00139634).

Note

The dwarf C. minutum (with digitate to flabellate fronds that rarely exceed 3 cm long) is usually distinguished by the presence of buds on stipes which can develop to provide a new frond, a feature called ‘stipe proliferation’ (the synapomorphy of sect. Gonocormus ; Ebihara et al. 2006). However, the Comorian specimens do not exhibit such features. They could thus correspond to C. minutum var. mascarenensis that describes lowland populations of dwarf specimens without proliferation ( Pynee et al. 2012).