Pleopeltis aturensis (Maury) Smith

Souza, Filipe Soares De & Salino, Alexandre, 2021, Pleopeltis (Polypodiaceae) in Brazil, Phytotaxa 512 (4), pp. 213-256 : 222

3. Pleopeltis aturensis (Maury) Smith in Smith & Tejero-Diéz (2014: 46). Figs. 2A–G , 7C . Polypodium aturense Maury (1889: 134) . Type:— VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Des bords L’orénoque Salvajito, Raudal d’Atures, 30 July 1887, A. Gaillard 111 (holotype: P01376336!)

Plants epiphytic. Rhizomes short-creeping, scales lanceolate, blackish, base rounded with a blackish point of attachment, apex acuminate, margins brown and erose; fronds 25–45 × 6–11cm; petiolate, petioles, terete, 8—20 cm long, without wings, sparsely scaly; laminae 17–25 cm long, pinnate, lanceolate to ovate, base truncate, apex acuminate; rachises terete, with sparse scales peltate, brown, base rounded with a blackish point of attachment, apex acuminate, margin stramineous and erose; pinnae 17–34 pairs, medial pinnae 5–11 × 0.3–0.6 cm, linear, with the base adnate to the rachises, auricle absent, hydathodes present, apex attenuate, margin entire to crenate, laevigate, sparsely scaly on the adaxial surface, and moderately scaly on the abaxial surface; venation free, furcate; frond scales lanceolate, blackish or brown, base rounded with a blackish point of attachment, apex acuminate, margin stramineous and erose; sori rounded, medial, glabrous; spores verrucate with sparse globules.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Amazonas: São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Parque Nacional do Pico da Neblina, trilha para a cachoeira do Anta , 28 December 2004, F.A. Carvalho 319 ( INPA) .

Distribution and habitat: — Venezuela and adjacent Brazil, where it is known only from a single collection from the Pico da Neblina in the State of Amazonas ( Fig. 3C ).

Notes: —This species can be recognized by its large size (25–45 × 6–11 cm), short-creeping rhizome with blackish scales, and terete petioles. In Brazil, it can be confused with some morphotypes of P. pleopeltidis , but P. aturensis is easily differentiated by its short-creeping rhizome and lanceolate to ovate lamina that is 17–25 cm long, while P. pleopeltidis has a long-creeping rhizome and a deltoid to lanceolate lamina that is 5–12 cm long. In addition, P. aturensis is known only from Amazonian forest and P. pleopeltidis occurs in the Atlantic Forest.

Pleopeltis aturensis is a very rare species, which is only known from two collections that were made 117 years apart. It was collected for the first time in 1887 by Antoine Gaillard, in Venezuela, and was described by Maury (1889). Subsequently, the species was collected in 2004 by F.A. Carvalho, the first record for Brazil (Carvalho et al. 2012).

According to MMA (2014) the species is not threatened. However, after reviewing the IUCN criteria, the authors believe that the species should be classified as EN. Because it presents a small area of occurrence, being known from just one locality and without new collections since its discovery in the country.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A–G. Pleopeltis aturensis. A. Habit; B. Rhizome scale; C. Petiole scale; D. Adaxial rachis scale; E. Abaxial rachis scale; F. Adaxial laminar scale; G. Abaxial laminar scale. H–O. P. bombycina. H. Habit, I. Rhizome scale; J. Petiole scale; K. Adaxial rachis scale; L. Abaxial rachis scale; M.Adaxial laminar scale; N. Abaxial laminar scale; O. Sorus scale.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of four species of Pleopeltis in Brazil. A. P. alborufula; B. P. astrolepis; C. P. aturensis; D. P. bombycina.

FIGURE 7. Spores of nine species of Pleopeltis from Brazil. A. P. alborufula; B. P. astrolepis; C. P. aturensis; D. P. bombycina; E. P. burchellii; F. P. desvauxii; G. P. furcata; H. P. gyroflexa; I. P. hirsutissima. Scale bar = 20 mm