Melpomene xiphopteroides (Liebm.) A.R.Sm. & R.C.Moran
Descripción
Rhizomes short-creeping, 1–2 mm diam.; rhizome scales blackish, appressed, 4–7 mm long, long-acuminate at tips; fronds somewhat distant to clustered; stipes gray-brown to black, 2–9 cm long, 1⁄4–1⁄3 the frond length, with dense reddish brown setae 2–2.5 mm long, intermixed with pale, inconspicuous, multibranched hairs 0.3 mm long; blades linear-elliptic, 7–15(–20) X 1–2(–3) cm, abruptly tapering proximally, gradually tapering distally; rachises with abundant reddish setae 1.5–2.5 mm long on both sides, short pale hairs few and very inconspicuous; pinnae ca. 25–50 pairs, linear-oblong, 7–14 mm long, usually 3–7 times longer than wide, usually spreading, obtuse to acute at tips; costae barely visible and blackish abaxially; indument abaxially on costae, laminae, and pinna margins of sparse to numerous reddish setae 1–2 mm long, but setae often completely absent on sterile pinnae, axes abaxially also with sparse short pale hairs; sori 4–7 pairs per pinna, sporangia mixed with setae.A
Forma de vida
EpífitaA
Ejemplar revisado
Chis (Hardison 92B, UC). Gro (Breedlove 65114, CAS; Lorea 1626, FCME, 2094, IEB; Rzedowski 18637, ENCB). Oax (Davidse et al. 30244, MEXU; Mickel 6704, UC; Pérez C. C46, MEXU). Ver (Lyonnet 541200020, MEXU; Purpus 213, US).A
Elevación
1150 – 3050 mA
Tipo de vegetación
Bosque de neblina/mesófiloA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaB
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaC
Discusión taxonómica
At least three of the four specimens cited from Veracruz as this species by Palacios-Rios (1992) are M. leptostoma.
The presence of setae on the adaxial surface of the rachises and the clumped nature of the fronds distinguish M. xiphopteroides from the group of M. moniliformis, M. flabelliformis, and M. deltata, which have more distant fronds and no hairs on the rachises adaxially. Some plants of M. xiphopteroides become fertile at a very small size, and the narrow fronds are often mistaken for members of the M. moniliformis group. The glabrous pinna margins, abaxial blade surface, and sori of M. leptostoma readily separate that species from M. xiphopteroides. Melpomene pilosissima differs in having pinna margins with hairs over the entire length (vs. 0–4 hairs in distal 1⁄4 of segments in M. xiphopteroides), longer rhizome scales, and evenly spaced laminar hairs (vs. hairs clustered in the sori).
Ctenopteris megaloura has generally been placed as a synonym of Melpomene pilosissima (e.g., by Stolze, 1981, and Lellinger, 1989), but the type is identical to the broad form of M. xiphopteroides.
A
The presence of setae on the adaxial surface of the rachises and the clumped nature of the fronds distinguish M. xiphopteroides from the group of M. moniliformis, M. flabelliformis, and M. deltata, which have more distant fronds and no hairs on the rachises adaxially. Some plants of M. xiphopteroides become fertile at a very small size, and the narrow fronds are often mistaken for members of the M. moniliformis group. The glabrous pinna margins, abaxial blade surface, and sori of M. leptostoma readily separate that species from M. xiphopteroides. Melpomene pilosissima differs in having pinna margins with hairs over the entire length (vs. 0–4 hairs in distal 1⁄4 of segments in M. xiphopteroides), longer rhizome scales, and evenly spaced laminar hairs (vs. hairs clustered in the sori).
Ctenopteris megaloura has generally been placed as a synonym of Melpomene pilosissima (e.g., by Stolze, 1981, and Lellinger, 1989), but the type is identical to the broad form of M. xiphopteroides.
A