Elaphoglossum engelii
Description
Rhizomes to 4 mm diam., short- to moderately creeping; rhizome scales 8 mm long, linear, reddish orange, lustrous, with long hair-teeth; fronds 24–30 cm, approximate to slightly distant; phyllopodia inconspicuous or absent; stipes 1⁄2 of sterile frond length, orange-tan; stipe scales mostly 3–5 mm long, lanceolate, spreading, orange or with black centers, strongly ciliodenticulate, the shorter ones with longer hair-teeth; sterile blades 6–15 X 2–4.2 cm, narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, subcoriaceous, bases broadly cuneate, apices obtuse; veins obscure, c. 1.5 mm apart, at 60–70° angle to costa; hydathodes absent; blade scales mostly 1.5–3 mm long, abundant, cilio-denticulate, adaxially whitish with age, imbricate to deciduous, abaxially orange with some lamina visible between the scales; fertile fronds slightly longer than the sterile, stipes 2⁄5 of frond length, blades narrower than those of sterile fronds, scales abundant adaxially and on abaxial costa, intersporangial scales conspicuous and abundant or deciduous, with long hair-teeth.A
A. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
Discussion
Elaphoglossum engelii is closely allied to E. muscosum, but distinct by the hair-toothed rhizome scales and fringed (especially the larger scales) vs. erose to short-toothed stipe scales.B
B. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
Specimen
Méx (Lyonnet 2024, ENCB, MEXU, US; Rzedowski 23279, ENCB, NY, 33968a, 36023, IEB). Mor (Lyonnet 1413, CAS, ENCB, FCME, UAMIZ, UC, US, 2024, CAS; Sánchez S. 465, MEXU, US).
D
D. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
D