A synopsis of the Neotropical species of Sticherus (Gleicheniaceae), with descriptions of nine new species Author Gonzales, Jasivia Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Casilla 10077, La Paz, Bolivia. Systematic Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH- 8008 Zurich, Switzerland. E-mail: michael. kessler @ systbot. uzh. ch Author Kessler, Michael text Phytotaxa 2011 2011-12-31 31 1 54 journal article 6085 10.11646/phytotaxa.31.1.1 2185a8cf-c15c-448b-b8c0-6055976408ed 1179-3163 4894648 Sticherus revolutus (Kunth) Ching (1940: 284) Gleichenia revoluta Kunth (1815: 29) . Mertensia revoluta (Kunth) Desvaux (1827: 200) . Type:— ECUADOR . Loja : Saraguro , Humboldt & Bonpland s.n. ( holotype P , isotypes B , US ). Gleichenia affinis Mett. ex Kuhn (1869: 167) . Dicranopteris affinis (Mett. ex Kuhn) Maxon (1922a: 47) . Sticherus affinis (Mett. ex Kuhn) Nakai (1950: 13) . Type: — PERU . Puno : San Gabán, Lechler 2265 ( holotype B, isotype US ). Gleichenia subandina Sodiro (1883: 5) . Sticherus subandinus (Sodiro) Nakai (1950: 29) . Type:— ECUADOR . Pichincha : El Corazón and Atacazo, Sodiro s.n. ( holotype K, photos BM, US ). Dicranopteris costaricensis Underwood (1907: 253) . Gleichenia costaricensis (Underw.) Christensen (1913: 44) . Sticherus costaricensis (Underw.) Chrysler (1944: 483) . Type:— COSTA RICA . Alajuela , Volcán Póas, Smith 6859 ( holotype NY, isotypes B, MO, US ). Gleichenia affinis Mett. ex Kuhn var. pachensis Hieronymus (1909: 286) . Type :— COLOMBIA . Bogotá , 2900 m , Lindig 116 ( holotype B). Gleichenia affinis Mett. ex Kuhn var. bogotensis Hieronymus (1909: 286) . Type :— COLOMBIA . Bogotá , Stübel 421 ( holotype B). Sticherus cundinamarcensis (Hieron.) Nakai (1950: 15) . Gleichenia cundinamarcensis Hieronymus (1909: 286) . Type:— COLOMBIA . Cundinamarca : Excurs. nach den Llanos de San Martin ; Weg von Villavicencio u. Umgegend von Villavicencio , oberhalb Batatas, Stübel 588 ( holotype B ) . Distribution and ecology:— High mountains in Mexico , Costa Rica , Panama , Hispaniola, Colombia , Venezuela , Guyana , Ecuador , Peru , and southeastern Brazil . Commonly found in open habitats in humid montane forests, around timberline, and in shrubby paramos at (1000) 1400–3300 m . Notes:— Sticherus revolutus is the most widespread Neotropical species of the genus. Stable morphological characters are the segmented hairlike scales adaxially on the branches, pectinate distal branches, large, trifid aphlebiae on the proximal branches, and the relative length of the branches. However, on Hispaniola there are some distinct small specimens with rugose rhizomes, very short squamophores, 1– or 2-forked pinnae, reduced aphlebiae or aphlebiae lacking, and fully segmented branches.