Morphological and Molecular Evidence to Segregate a Disjunct Species of Hymenophyllum (Hymenophyllaceae) from Southern South America

LARSEN, CRISTIAN; GONZATTI, FELIPE; ACOSTA, JUAN M.; PONCE, M. MÓNICA

SYSTEMATIC BOTANY

AMER SOC PLANT TAXONOMISTS

Año: 2020 vol. 45 p. 439 - 449

0363-6445

Abstract?Morphological studies and molecular phylogenetic analyses were carried out to assess the taxonomic status of Hymenophyllumcaudiculatum, a species with a disjunct distribution in South America. The species is found in tropical and subtropical forests of Brazil and intemperate forest of southern Argentina and Chile. Based on the results of morphological, molecular, and species delimitation analyses, Hyme-nophyllum caudatum of the Valdivian forest of southern Chile and Argentina is proposed as a species separate from H. caudiculatum, endemic to Brazil.The two taxa are delimited, respectively, as follows: 1?5 cm long non-alate stipes (vs. 0.3?1 cm long non-alate stipes in Brazilian H. caudiculatum); stipewings gradually ending (vs. stipe wings abruptly ending very near the rhizome); margin entire to somewhat undulate (vs. margin undulate tocrispate); soriferous segment alate, angustate, or null (vs. soriferous segment with laminar constriction at apex); and widely obovoid receptacle withsessile sporangia (vs. flattened obovoid or globose receptacle with shortly pedunculated sporangia). Descriptions for the two species recognized hereand a map of their geographical distribution are provided, along with nomenclatural revision, illustrations, and conservation status assessments.keywords: Atlantic Forest, Hymenophyllum caudatum, H. caudiculatum, phylogeny, subantarctic forest, taxonomy.