First record of Cyatheaceae in Uruguay

MARQUEZ G. J. Y BRUSSA C. A.

AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL

AMER FERN SOC INC

Año: 2011 vol. 101

0002-8444

The family Cyatheaceae comprises about 500 species (Korall et al., Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 39: 830–845. 2006) classified in four genera: Alsophila, Cyathea, Cnemidaria and Sphaeropteris (Lellinger, Amer. Fern J. 77 (3): 90–94. 1987). Among the tree ferns, Cyatheaceae is characterized by the presence of abaxial sori and scales at the petiole bases (Tryon and Tryon, Ferns and allied plants with special reference to tropical America, Springer-Verlag, New York. 1982). To date, Dicksoniaceae has been reported as the only family of tree ferns to grow in Uruguay, with the presence of Dicksonia sellowiana Hook. in the Departments of Cerro Largo, Tacuarembo´ and Treinta y Tres Orientales (Lehnert et al., Dicksoniaceae, Cata´logo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur, Vol1, Missouri Botanical Garden, 2008). Recent collections of Cyathea atrovirens (Langsd. & Fisch.) Domin in Rivera and Tacuarembo´ Departments represent the first records of the Cyatheaceae from Uruguay. Cyathea atrovirens is a tree fern distributed in northeastern Argentina, western Paraguay, and eastern and southern Brazil (Marquez et al., Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 41:313–315. 2006). This species is distinguished from other Cyathea species in these areas by the presence of single veins, free sori and spore surfaces without perforations. It grows at elevations up to 1500 m on roadsides, gullies, abandoned crops, swamps and secondary forests.