Disentangling the diversity and taxonomy of Hymenophyllaceae (Hymenophyllales, Polypodiidae) in the Comoros
Author
Ahamada H. Saïd
Author
Sabine Hennequin
Author
Germinal Rouhan
Author
Jean-Yves Dubuisson
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2017
2017-04-28
313
1
53
journal article
32053
10.5852/ejt.2017.313
e9b8382f-faec-4925-993b-f13e4cfa2a71
2118-9773
896401
Notes on genus
Didymoglossum
in Comoros
Didymoglossum lorencei
,
D. robinsonii
and
D. erosum
are new for the archipelago. They were never reported, likely due to confusions with morphologically close taxa. We can, however, note here that
D. erosum
, absent in the archipelago according to
Tardieu-Blot (1951)
and
Roux (2009)
, would be nevertheless present according to the type of
Trichomanes erosum
var.
laciniatum
which would have been collected in Comoros. But this type specimen could not be observed nor studied, and its identification remains questionable. Sterile
D. erosum
is also indeed easily confused with small sterile
D. cuspidatum
. The confusion is also easy between
D. rotundifolium
and small
D. erosum
specimens with entire laminae. The first species never displays lobed fronds contrary to the second.
Didymoglossum lorencei
and
D. robinsonii
are often found growing as epiphyte and mixed and confused with other species of
Didymoglossum
. Only microscopic observation of marginal hairs allows the distinction. It explains that the occurrence of
D. lorencei
in La
Réunion has been reported only recently, because the species is quite discrete and mostly grows on tree-fern trunks in association with the much more abundant
D. cuspidatum
(pers. obs.;
Grangaud 2010
).