Melpomene A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran
Descripción
Rhizomes erect or short- to long-creeping; rhizome scales usually blackish or dark reddish brown en masse, strongly clathrate, lanceolate to ovatelanceolate, cordate basally and attached at a central point, ± entire, apices acute to attenuate, margins and surfaces lacking hairs or teeth, often with one to several papillose cells (glandular?) ca. 0.1 mm long at the scale tips, these cells often dislodged and not evident on older scales; fronds monomorphic or nearly so, determinate; stipes not articulate, 0.5–1.5 mm diam.; blades pinnatifid, pinnatisect, or 1-pinnate proximally, linear to elliptic, pinnae (segments) broadly adnate; rachises dark red-brown to blackish; veins free, often not readily visible, pinnate in the segments; hydathodes present and usually readily visible adaxially, not producing lime-dots; indument of stipes and blades of castaneous or deep red setae 0.3–3 mm long, setae multicellular but with cross walls difficult to see, also of lax pale hairs with reddish color concentrated at the cross walls, also of branched hairs 0.1–0.2 mm long, branches 2–8-celled, some species nearly devoid of setae and hairs; sori ± round or slightly oblong, discrete, superficial or slightly sunken, ca. 1 mm diam., exindusiate; soral paraphyses absent, but some species with castaneous receptacular setae or with circumsoral setae; sporangia glabrous; x=37.A
Forma de vida
Epífita, o Epipétrica. TerrestreA
Distribución
México (país) Nativo y no endémicoA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaB
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaC
Discusión taxonómica
Melpomene comprises about 20 species, most of them in the neotropics, but at least one, M. flabelliformis, in Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean. The genus differs from other genera of Grammitidaceae by the combination of strongly clathrate, non-setose, cordate-based rhizome scales that are attached at a point and often bear one to several gland-like papillae at the tip, pronounced hydathodes adaxially, pinnate, free veins, the presence (usually) of dark reddish brown to castaneous setae on the midribs and sometimes laminae, and branched pale hairs on the stipes and midribs. It is in need of modern taxonomic revision, especially in South America, where the variation and number of species are greater, especially at high elevations in the Andes. One suspects that much of the radiation in the genus is quite recent, corresponding to the uplift of the Andes within the last 15 million years. Unpublished molecular data show that the genus is monophyletic, possibly the sister group to Lellingeria (Ranker et al., 2004).
When dried, several species of Melpomene emit a sweet, spicy fragrance that is not found or is uncommonly noted in other genera of grammitid ferns. This aroma can be almost overpowering to some individuals, while scarcely noticeable by others (Smith & Moran, 1992).With the recent transfer of Melpomene anfractuosa to Terpsichore, based in part on molecular evidence (Ranker et al., unpubl. data), the distinctive black clavate fungus Acrospermum is known to occur only on the blades of some species of Terpsichore.
A
When dried, several species of Melpomene emit a sweet, spicy fragrance that is not found or is uncommonly noted in other genera of grammitid ferns. This aroma can be almost overpowering to some individuals, while scarcely noticeable by others (Smith & Moran, 1992).With the recent transfer of Melpomene anfractuosa to Terpsichore, based in part on molecular evidence (Ranker et al., unpubl. data), the distinctive black clavate fungus Acrospermum is known to occur only on the blades of some species of Terpsichore.
A