Hypolepis periculosa Schwartsb., 2017

Hypolepis periculosa Schwartsb. View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1E–G View FIGURE 1 )

Spiny, reddish brown petioles and rachises, costae with long catenate-acicular and catenate-glandular hairs, laminar tissue between the veins abaxially with catenate-glandular hairs, and ciliate pseudo-indusia.

Type:— BOLIVIA. La Paz: Prov. Nor Yungas, a 5 km de Chuspipata hacia Coroico, 16°23’S, 67°48’W, 2700 m, 19 September 1997, M. Kessler 12087 with J. Gonzales, K. Bach & A. Portugal ( holotype UC!; isotypes GOET!, LPB!) GoogleMaps .

Plants terrestrial. Rhizomes 3–6 mm diam.; hairs catenate-acicular, reddish brown, 1–3 mm long, 10–30-celled. Leaves complete not seen, determinate, scandent, probably 2 m long or more; petioles complete not seen, ca. 5–7 mm diam., entirely reddish brown, glabrescent, rugose, the spines conspicuous, straight, 0.3–1.2 mm long; blades (complete not seen) tripinnate-pinnatifid to quadripinnate-pinnatifid proximally, at least 1.4 × 1.2 m; rachises straight, proximally reddish brown, stramineous above, spiny, rugose, glabrescent, with catenate-acicular and catenate-glandular hairs; basal pinnae ca. 60 × 22 cm, subequilateral; costae abaxially and adaxially pilose with two kinds of hairs, the first kind of hair catenate-acicular, hyaline with reddish cross-walls, 0.8–1.8 mm long, 8–18-celled, the second kind of hair catenate-glandular, hyaline with reddish cross-walls, 0.3–0.5 mm long, 4–6-celled; costules abaxially with catenate-glandular hairs, adaxially glabrescent; veins abaxially with catenate-glandular hairs, adaxially glabrescent; laminar tissue between the veins abaxially with catenate-glandular hairs, adaxially glabrous; laminar margins glabrous; sori marginal; pseudo-indusia proximally greenish, distally hyaline, the margins copiously ciliate.

Range:— Endemic to Bolivia ( LP) ; known only from the type collection.

Ecology:— Rare; scandent terrestrial, in evergreen forests; 2700 m.

Etymology:— The epithet periculosa ( Latin) means “dangerous”, an allusion to its densely spinulose petioles and rachises. In addition, it was collected along the infamous “death road” to Coroico, well known for its precipitous drops.

Notes:— Hypolepis periculosa is characterized by spiny, reddish brown petioles and rachises, costae with long catenate-acicular hairs ( 0.8–1.8 mm long, 8–18-celled) and catenate-glandular hairs, costules, veins, and laminar tissue between the veins (abaxially) with catenate-glandular hairs, and ciliate pseudo-indusia ( Figs. 1E–G View FIGURE 1 ). It differs from H. rigescens by the reddish brown, stouter ( 5–7 mm diam.) petioles ( vs. petioles proximally purplish or blackish, golden brown distally, 2.5–6 mm diam.), the copiously ciliate pseudo-indusia ( vs. margins crenate to dentate, rarely with one or two cilia), and by occurring at much higher elevation. In addition, these two species differ slightly in their indument: the catenate-acicular and the catenate-glandular hairs of H. periculosa are longer.

The type of Hypolepis periculosa was previously identified as Hypolepis viscosa H.Karst. ( Smith et al. 1999) , but that species has inermous petioles and rachises, and pilose laminar margins, thus differing from H. periculosa . Hypolepis viscosa occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, and Hispaniola.