Elaphoglossum muscosum
Description
Rhizomes short-creeping to erect, to 12 mm diam.; rhizome scales linear, reddish orange, to 13 mm long, with short teeth; fronds clumped, 13–30 X 1.9–4.8 cm; phyllopodia inconspicuous or absent; stipes 2⁄5–3⁄5 the frond length, with scales light orange, erose, to 6 mm long, spreading; blades narrowly elliptic or ovatelanceolate, subcoriaceous, bases broadly cuneate to rounded, apices rounded; veins inconspicuous, free, simple or once-forked, ca. 1 mm apart, at ca. 60° angle to costa; hydathodes absent; blade scales with cilia shorter than the width of the scale body, scales of adaxial surfaces white, or with slightly darker centers, peltate, ovate-lanceolate, long-toothed, abundant, longer, darker orange, and less peltate on abaxial surface; fertile fronds as long as the sterile fronds, but with smaller blades and longer stipes (ca. 1⁄3 the fertile frond length), scales sparse, small and inconspicuous among the sporangia.A
A. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
Discussion
Elaphoglossum muscosum belongs to a very distinct small group that is distinguished by the blade shape and densely clothed blades and stipes. This species is distinguished from E. Engelii by having inconspicuous scales among the sporangia, less toothed rhizome and stipe scales, the more compact rhizome habit, and occurrence at lower elevations.B
B. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
Specimen
Chis (Breedlove 22734, NY; Luteyn 11583, NY; Martínez 22423, NY; Mickel 1246, NY). Oax (Anderson & Anderson 4725, MICH; Mickel 1126, 4314, 5379, NY). Ver (Chazaro & Hernández 3648, WIS; Houck 51, MICH).D
D. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88