Polystichum orbiculatum (Desv.) J.Rémy & Fée, Fl. Chil.

Kessler, Michael, Moran, Robbin C., Mickel, John T., Matos, Fernando B. & Smith, Alan R., 2018, Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXXV. Dryopteridaceae, Phytotaxa 353 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

Polystichum orbiculatum (Desv.) J.Rémy & Fée, Fl. Chil. 6: 515. 1853.

= Polystichum pygmaeum Copel., Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 19: 300, pl. 56. 1941.

Range: —High mountains from Costa Rica ( McHenry & Barrington, 2014), Colombia to Bolivia (CO, LP).

Ecology: —Common; terrestrial and saxicolous, mostly growing in sheltered places among rocks and in rock crevices, near and above treeline; (3000–) 3700–4900 m.

Notes: —This species was treated as conspecific with P. polyphyllum by Kessler et al. (2005); however, based on recent studies ( McHenry & Barrington 2014; M. McHenry pers. comm.), we now treat the two as different taxa. There are a number of intermediates between this species and P. cochleatum , and they may represent hybrids. It seems likely that specimens called this from southern Mexico and Mesoamerica, as well as from Venezuela, are referrable to P. polyphyllum , but the exact range is uncertain to us. McHenry & Barrington (2014) included specimens from Costa Rica, Colombia, Bolivia, and Ecuador in their analysis.