Phlegmariurus cuneifolius (Hieron.) B. Øllgaard (2012b: 14)

Øllgaard, Benjamin & Testo, Weston, 2021, The Lycopodiaceae of Panamá, Phytotaxa 526 (1), pp. 1-66 : 15

. Phlegmariurus cuneifolius (Hieron.) B. Øllgaard (2012b: 14) . Fig. 6A.

Lycopodium cuneifolium Hieronymus (1905: 572) .— Urostachys cuneifolius (Hieron.) Nessel (1939: 252) .— Huperzia cuneifolia (Hieron.) Holub (1985: 72) . Type:— COSTA RICA. Heredia: Volcaìn Barba, 1855, Hoffmann 50 (B lectotype, designated by Nessel (1939: 252); NY [fragment] isotype).

Pendulous, very delicate, to 60 cm long. Shoots heterophyllous. Basal divisions (5–) 7–13 mm in diameter including the expanded leaves, abruptly constricted to 1–2 mm in diameter in terminal, constricted, quadrangular divisions with imbricate leaves. Stems excluding leaves 1 mm thick or less at the base, greenish to bright red. Expanded leaves of basal divisions decussate, the leaf pairs 2–4 mm apart, spreading to perpendicular, oblanceolate to obovate or spathulate, cuneate, widest at or above the middle, obtuse or mucronulate, 3–6 × 1.5–3 mm. Leaves of terminal constricted divisions often sporangiate in rather short zones of the divisions, decussate, appressed and clasping, widely ovate to subcordate, 1–1.5(–2) × 1–1.5 mm, carinate, the sporophylls equalling or slightly exceeding the sporangia. Sporangia ca. 1 mm wide.

­­­ Distribution:— Costa Rica, Panamá, Andean Venezuela, Colombia, northern Peru.

Habitats:— Cloud forest, epiphytic or hanging from mossy banks, 2100–2450 m elev.

­­­ Notes:— Closely related to Phlegmariurus callitrichifolius (Mett.) B.Øllg. (Northern Andes) and P. amentaceus . Most characters as in P. callitrichifolius , but differing from this by the spathulate to oblanceolate or obovate, cuneate expanded leaves.

­­­ Specimens­­­examined:—Chiriquí: End of road at La Horqueta, NW of Boquete, 2250 m, Hammel et al. 6530 (MO). Between Alto de Las Palmas and top of Cerro de la Horqueta, 2100–2268 m, Maxon 5475 (GH, MO, NY, S, US). Distr. Bugaba, Cerro Punta, 2300–2450 m, McPherson 9407 (MO). Dist. Renacimiento, Jurutungu, filo entre Quijada del Diablo y Cerro Pando, 2285–2465 m, Araúz et al. 579 (PMA). Cerro Punta, Florpán 2696 (PMA). 0.8 km up the main road from the center of the town Cerro Punta, then 1.2 km SW along side road on ridge beyond end of the road, primary forest, 2100–2300 m, Lellinger et al. 1945 (F, US). Distr. Bugaba, Cerro Punta, 2200 m, van der Werff & Herrera 6310 (MO). Coclé: PNOT. Area de bosques del sendero interpretativo, Polanco 4062 (PMA). Colón: Dist. Donoso, Campamento Botija, ca. 2 km SW of campamento principal, Polanco et al. 1880 (PMA).