Myriopteris chipinquensis

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Myriopteris chipinquensis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Pteridaceae
Genus: Myriopteris
Species:
M. chipinquensis
Binomial name
Myriopteris chipinquensis
(Knobloch & Lellinger) Grusz & Windham
Synonyms
  • Cheilanthes chipinquensisKnobloch & Lellinger
  • Hemionitis chipinquensis(Knobloch & Lellinger) Christenh.

Myriopteris chipinquensis is a fern endemic to Mexico, a member of the family Pteridaceae. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, it was classified in the genus Cheilanthes until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It grows in oak-pine forests of the Sierra Madre Oriental, often with the very similar and closely related Myriopteris tomentosa .

Contents

Description

Leaf bases are closely spaced along the horizontal rhizome, which is 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.1 in) in diameter. [1] The rhizome bears scales, which are linear-lanceolate with attenuate tips and entire (untoothed) margins. [1] They are black at the center and orange at the margins, and measure 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 in) long. [1]

The fronds spring up in clusters. [1] When mature, they are 12 to 37 centimeters (4.7 to 15 in) long. [1] The stipe (the stalk of the leaf, below the blade) represents about one-third to one-half of the total length of the leaf. [1] The stipe is round and ungrooved in profile. It is brown in color and thickly covered with tan-colored hairs and narrow, linear scales. [1]

The leaf blades are lanceolate, bipinnate (cut into pinnae and pinnules) to tripinnate-pinnatifid (cut into pinnae, pinnules, and lobed pinnulets). The leaf tissue is firm in texture, sometimes nearly leathery. [2] The rachis (leaf axis) and costae (pinna axes) are covered in the same type of hairs and scales as the stipes. [1] From 17 to 25 pairs of pinnae are present. The terminal subdivisions of the leaf (those at the ends of pinnae or pinnules) are oblong, about 3 millimeters (0.1 in) long and 1 millimeter (0.04 in) wide, and often have two lobes of unequal size at their base. The lateral subdivisions (those not at the ends of the pinnae or pinnules) are ovate and about 1 millimeter (0.04 in) in diameter. [1] The upper surface of the leaf bears a few crinkly white hairs; similar hairs, tan or white in color, are more abundant on the lower surface, although they do not completely conceal the leaf tissue of that surface. [1]

On fertile fronds, the sori are protected by false indusia formed by the edge of the leaf curling back over the underside. The recurved edges are only a little modified in comparison to the rest of the leaf tissue, and are not divided into multiple segments. The sori contain tan to light brown spores, with 64 spores in each sporangium. The species is a diploid, with chromosome counts of 2n = 58 or 60. [1]

M. chipinquensis is extremely similar to M. tomentosa , from which it was not distinguished until the 20th century, and is usually found growing with that species. M. tomentosa has a denser coating of hairs on both leaf surfaces, and its terminal and lateral subdivisions are more or less similar in shape. Its organs are in general slightly larger than those of M. chipinquensis. It also has 32, rather than 64, spores per sporangium. [1] [3]

Taxonomy

Myriopteris chipinquensis was first described by Irving W. Knobloch and David B. Lellinger in 1969 as Cheilanthes chipinquensis, based on material collected on Chipinque Mesa, in Nuevo León, by Knobloch on a trip with Paulino Rojas. It is quite similar to M. tomentosa , from which it can "scarcely be differentiated at a glance". [4]

The development of molecular phylogenetic methods showed that the traditional circumscription of Cheilanthes is polyphyletic. Convergent evolution in arid environments is thought to be responsible for widespread homoplasy in the morphological characters traditionally used to classify it and the segregate genera that have sometimes been recognized. On the basis of molecular evidence, Amanda Grusz and Michael D. Windham revived the genus Myriopteris in 2013 for a group of species formerly placed in Cheilanthes. One of these was C. chipinquensis, which thus became Myriopteris chipinquensis. [5] In 2018, Maarten J. M. Christenhusz transferred the species to Hemionitis as H. chipinquensis, as part of a program to consolidate the cheilanthoid ferns into that genus. [6]

Further molecular studies in Myriopteris demonstrated the existence of three well-supported clades within the genus. M. chipinquensis belongs to what Grusz et al. informally named the covillei clade. [7] It is most closely related to M. tomentosa, an asexual triploid, and is likely to be ancestral to that species. [1] [8] The two species, in turn, belong to a larger subclade which also includes M. jamaicensis , M. rufa , M. windhamii , and the more distantly related M. myriophylla . [7]

Distribution and habitat

Myriopteris chipinquensis is endemic to Mexico, known from Nuevo León. [1] It has also been reported from Coahuila, but without a cited voucher. [9]

M. chipinquensis grows in oak-pine forests, either on soil or on limestone bedrock. on dry, rocky slopes over acidic bedrock, particularly basaltic rocks. It is found at altitudes from 800 to 1,200 meters (2,600 to 3,900 ft). [1]

Notes and references

Related Research Articles

<i>Myriopteris clevelandii</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris clevelandii, formerly known as Cheilanthes clevelandii, is a species of lip fern known by the common name Cleveland's lip fern. It is native to southern California and Baja California in Mexico. The leaf is divided into small, bead-like segments densely covered with scales beneath. In M. clevelandii, some of these scales are reduced to hairlike structures, which help distinguish it from the closely related M. covillei. It is usually found growing on exposed rock, particularly igneous rock.

<i>Argyrochosma jonesii</i> Species of fern in the family Pteridaceae

Argyrochosma jonesii, known as Jones' false cloak fern, is a species of fern native to the southwestern United States and Sonora, Mexico. It grows on calcareous rocks, and has small, finely-divided leaves with a leathery texture and dark axes connecting the leaf segments. Unlike many members of Argyrochosma, it does not secrete white powder on the underside of its leaves. First described as a species in 1917, it was transferred to the new genus Argyrochosma in 1987, recognizing their distinctness from the "cloak ferns".

<i>Myriopteris cooperae</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris cooperae, formerly Cheilanthes cooperae, is a species of lip fern known by the common name Mrs. Cooper's lip fern, or simply Cooper's lip fern.

<i>Myriopteris tomentosa</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris tomentosa, formerly known as Cheilanthes tomentosa, is a perennial fern known as woolly lipfern. Woolly lipfern is native to the southern United States, from Virginia to Arizona and Georgia, and Mexico.

<i>Myriopteris myriophylla</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris myriophylla, the Central American lace fern, is a species of lip fern. Despite its common name, this species is native as far south as Argentina. It is adapted to dry areas.

<i>Myriopteris lanosa</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris lanosa, the hairy lip fern, is a moderately-sized fern of the eastern United States, a member of the family Pteridaceae. Its leaves and stem are sparsely covered in hairs, but lack scales, hence its common name. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, it was usually classified in the genus Cheilanthes until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It typically grows in shallow, dry, soil, often in rocky habitats.

<i>Myriopteris</i> Genus of ferns

Myriopteris, commonly known as the lip ferns, is a genus of cheilanthoid ferns. Like other cheilanthoids, they are ferns of dry habitats, reproducing both sexually and apogamously. Many species have leaves divided into a large number of small, bead-like segments, the probable inspiration for the generic name. Hairs and/or scales are often present on both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf, and their presence and appearance are useful in distinguishing between species. The genus is most diverse in Mexico, but species are found from southwestern Canada south to southern Chile, and one species is endemic to southern Africa.

<i>Myriopteris alabamensis</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris alabamensis, the Alabama lip fern, is a moderately-sized fern of the United States and Mexico, a member of the family Pteridaceae. Unlike many members of its genus, its leaves have a few hairs on upper and lower surfaces, or lack them entirely. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, it was usually classified in the genus Cheilanthes as Cheilanthes alabamensis until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It typically grows in shade on limestone outcrops.

Myriopteris maxoniana is a species of cheilanthoid fern known only from one collection in Tamaulipas, Mexico. It closely resembles Myriopteris longipila and was not described as a distinct taxon until 2004.

Myriopteris aemula, the Texas lip fern or rival lip fern, is a moderately-sized fern of Texas and Mexico, a member of the family Pteridaceae. Unlike many members of its genus, its leaves have a few hairs on upper and lower surfaces, or lack them entirely. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, it was usually classified in the genus Cheilanthes as Cheilanthes aemula until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It typically grows on limestone rock.

Myriopteris yatskievychiana is a small fern native to Mexico, a member of the family Pteridaceae. It is known only from a single collection in the Mexican state of Sonora. While superficially similar to golden lip fern, a widespread species in Mexico, differences in its coating of hairs and its small size make it distinctive. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, it was usually classified in the genus Cheilanthes until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes.

Myriopteris allosuroides is a moderately-sized fern of Mexico, a member of the family Pteridaceae. Unlike many members of its genus, its rachides are grooved on the upper surface and largely free of hairs or scales. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, it was usually classified in the genera Cheilanthes or Pellaea until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It typically grows on dry, rocky slopes over acidic, particularly basaltic, rock.

<i>Argyrochosma peninsularis</i> Species of fern in the family Pteridaceae

Argyrochosma peninsularis is a fern endemic to Baja California Sur. It grows in dry, rocky places. First described as a species in 1939, it was transferred to the new genus Argyrochosma in 1987, recognizing their distinctness from the "cloak ferns". A dusting of powdery material and the presence of occasional scales on the central axis of its leaves help distinguish it from related species.

<i>Myriopteris aurea</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris aurea, the golden lip fern or Bonaire lip fern, is a moderately-sized fern native to the Americas, a member of the family Pteridaceae. Unlike many members of its genus, its leaf is only modestly dissected into lobed leaflets (pinnae), which are hairy both above and below. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, until 2013 it was classified in the genus Cheilanthes as Cheilanthes bonariensis, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It typically grows on dry, rocky slopes, and ranges from Mexico, where it is common and widespread, and the southwestern United States south and east through Central and South America as far as Chile and Argentina.

Argyrochosma lumholtzii is a rare fern in the family Pteridaceae known from Sonora, Mexico. It is quite similar to Jones' false cloak fern, but has black leaf axes and a less highly divided leaf. First described as a species in 1939, honoring the explorer Carl Sofus Lumholtz, it was transferred to the new genus Argyrochosma in 1987, recognizing their distinctness from the "cloak ferns".

Argyrochosma incana, the hairy false cloak fern, is a fern known from the southwestern United States through Mexico to Guatemala, and from a disjunct population in the Dominican Republic. It grows on rocky slopes and steep banks, often in forests. Like many of the false cloak ferns, it bears white powder on the underside of its leaves. First described as a species in 1825, it was transferred to the new genus Argyrochosma in 1987, recognizing their distinctness from the "cloak ferns".

<i>Argyrochosma microphylla</i> Species of fern in the family Pteridaceae

Argyrochosma microphylla, the small-leaf false cloak fern, is a species of fern native to New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. It grows on limestone rocks and cliffs, and has finely-divided leaves with small leaf segments, often folded in half when dry, which lack the white powder present on the leaf underside of many related species. First described as a species in 1869, it was transferred to the new genus Argyrochosma in 1987, recognizing their distinctness from the "cloak ferns".

<i>Myriopteris rufa</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris rufa, commonly known as Eaton's lip fern, is a moderately-sized fern of Mexico and the southwestern United States, with outlying populations in Costa Rica and the Appalachian Mountains. One of the cheilanthoid ferns, it was usually classified in the genus Cheilanthes, as Cheilanthes eatonii, until 2013, when the genus Myriopteris was again recognized as separate from Cheilanthes. It typically grows in rocky habitats, most frequently on limestone but also sometimes on basalt or shale.

Myriopteris longipila, formerly known as Cheilanthes longipila, is a species of fern native to Mexico. It is characterized by a dense covering of long whitish hairs.

<i>Myriopteris rawsonii</i> Species of fern

Myriopteris rawsonii, formerly known as Cheilanthes rawsonii, is a perennial fern native to Namaqualand in Southern Africa. Like many other cheilanthoid ferns, it is adapted to dry conditions, bearing a thick layer of pale hairs on the underside of its pinnate-pinnatifid leaves. It is the only African representative of its clade of cheilanthoids, the otherwise American genus Myriopteris. It spends much of the year in a dried-out, dormant state, rehydrating and putting out new growth during winter rains. Its name honors the botanist and civil servant Sir Rawson W. Rawson.

References

Works cited