Elaphoglossum mulleri
Description
Rhizomes short-creeping, to 5 mm diam.; rhizome scales dull orange, ovate-lanceolate to nearly deltate, ca. 2 mm long, entire or weakly toothed; fronds clumped, 15–33 X 1.2–2.5 cm; phyllopodia absent; stipes 1⁄5–1⁄3 the frond length, with scales orange, few, linear-lanceolate or mostly stellate and hair-like, somewhat deciduous with age; blades narrowly elliptic, chartaceous, bases narrowly cuneate, apices acuminate; veins visible but not conspicuous, free, simple to 2-forked, 0.4–0.7 mm apart, at ca. 70° angle to costa; hydathodes absent; blade scales appearing as stellate hairs with virtually no scale body on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces, ca. 1 mm long, occasionally with a few linear-lanceolate scales on the abaxial costae; fertile fronds usually exceeding the sterile and with longer stipes (nearly 1⁄2 the length) and narrower blades (to 0.8 cm wide), stellate hairs on abaxial costae, but absent among sporangia.A
A. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
Discussion
This species is quite variable in scaliness and plant size. It can be distinguished from Elaphoglossum petiolatum and E. gratum by its orange rhizome scales. It is most abundant in Mexico and only doubtful south of Guatemala. Elaphoglossum muelleri has generally been treated under the name of E. pilosum (Humb. & Bonpl. exWilld.) T. Moore, the type of which is from Venezuela; it has narrower, nonciliate scales on the rhizomes and stipe bases. Reports of E. pilosum in Mexico (e.g., Conzatti, 1939; Knobloch & Correll, 1962) may apply to E. muelleri, E. petiolatum, E. potosianum, or E. rzedowskii.B
B. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
Specimen
Chis (Breedlove 23083, DS). Col (Goldsmith 41, UC). DF (Lyonnet 891, MEXU). Gro (Hinton 14882, NY). Gto (Ventura & López 7446, MEXU). Hgo (Matuda 32531, MEXU). Jal (Pringle 2590, MEXU, MSC, NY). Méx (Hinton 1811, NY). Mich (McVaugh 22693, MICH). Nay (Mexia 708, NY). Oax (Mickel 5057, NY). Pue (Nicolas s.n., 12 Nov 1909, NY). Sin (Breedlove 17056, NY). SLP (Schaffner s.n., Oct 1876, NY). Ver (Müller 41, NY).
Unverified, Doubtful, or Mistaken Reports. Qro (Fernández 3560, cited as E. pilosum [E. muelleri] by Díaz-Barriga & Palacios-Rios, 1992, but not verified and possibly E. petiolatum).
D
D. Mickel, J. T. & Smith, A. R. 2004: The Pteridophytes of Mexico Vol. 88
Unverified, Doubtful, or Mistaken Reports. Qro (Fernández 3560, cited as E. pilosum [E. muelleri] by Díaz-Barriga & Palacios-Rios, 1992, but not verified and possibly E. petiolatum).
D