The Blechnum occidentale (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida) species group in southern and southeastern Brazil

Abstract

A taxonomic study of the Blechnum occidentale species group in southern and southeastern Brazil (Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul) was carried out and eleven taxa were accepted (nine species, two hybrids). Four taxa are widely distributed in tropical America, three are widely distributed in South America, three are exclusive to southern South America, and one is restricted to Brazil. New records are presented for several taxa in states from southeastern Brazil, in other regions of the country, as well as in other countries. Taxonomic descriptions are presented for the whole genus and for all infrageneric taxa occurring in the study area as well as synonymies, lectotypifications, a new combination (Blechnum × leopoldense), a key for the identification of infrageneric taxa, comments and geographical distribution for each taxon.

Checklist of ferns and lycophytes from Parque Estadual Mata das Flores, Castelo, Espírito Santo, Brazil

“…Hybrids in the B. occidentale-complex are very common and have been extensively mentioned in literature (e.g., Mickel and Beitel 1988, Moran 1995a, Mickel and Smith 2004. Unfortunately, Dittrich et al (2015) overlooked most hybrid events, and included only a few hybrids from southeastern Brazil. Thus, the 2 hybrids among Blechnum species are not a surprise.…”

“…We identified the taxa using the following literature: Christensen (1913), Tryon (1942Tryon ( , 1960, Mickel (1962), Brade (1964), Tindale (1965), Hennipman (1977), Tryon and Tryon (1982), Lellinger (1988), Mickel and Beitel (1988), Moran (1995aMoran ( , 1995bMoran ( , 2000, Nauman (1995), Prado and Windisch (2000), Hoshizaki and Moran (2001), Sylvestre (2001), Salino and Semir (2002, 2004a, 2004b, Mickel and Smith (2004), Christenhusz (2007), Schwartsburd and Labiak (2007), Winter et al (2007), Labiak and Prado (2008), Moran et al (2010), LinkPérez and Hickey (2011), Mynssen (2011), Windisch (2014, Dittrich et al (2015), Viveros and Salino (2015), Heringer et al (2016), Rabelo and Schwartsburd (2016), Salino et al (2016). Comparisons were made with the fern collection at herbarium VIC (acronym according to Thiers 2017) and online collections through Reflora-Herbário Virtual (2016).…”

Ferns and Lycophytes from fragments of semideciduous forest in central Espírito Santo, Brazil

“…In turn, Blechnum lanceola Sw. (Fig. 3g) had only been recorded once in Espírito Santo before our study (in Pontões Capixabas, northwestern of the state, according to Dittrich et al 2015). Among the species recorded here, only Asplenium austrobrasiliense (Christ) Maxon (Fig.…”

Molecular phylogeny of the fern family Blechnaceae (Polypodiales) with a revised genus‐level treatment

“…Brazilian endemics Blechnum heringeri Brade, B. areolatum V.A.O.Dittrich & Salino and B. longipilosum V.A.O.Dittrich & Salino, which have longer‐stiped fertile fronds with slightly narrower fertile pinnae), or subdimorphic, as in Blechnum auriculatum Cav. (Dittrich et al., , ). This clade also contains a few species with partially anastomosing veins [ B. areolatum , B. heringeri and B. longipilosum ; Dittrich et al.…”

“…Blechnum s.s. (Murillo, 1968;Dittrich et al, 2015) comprises mostly neotropical species, plus two species in Africa, and is typified by Blechnum occidentale L. This clade, with ca. 30 species (some probably of allopolyploid origin; Dittrich et al, 2015) and many sterile hybrids, is characterized by usually stoloniferous, monomorphic fronds with finely denticulate pinna margins (Dittrich et al, 2015). In rare cases, fronds may be slightly dimorphic ( (Dittrich et al, 2012(Dittrich et al, , 2015.…”