Five New Species of <i>Diplazium</i> Sw. (Athyriaceae) from Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Colombia

Abstract

Five new species are described in the genus Diplazium Sw. from Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Colombia, as results of studies in the Neotropical ferns. The new species are Diplazium chirripoense A. Rojas, Diplazium cornutum A. Rojas, Diplazium crassirhizoma A. Rojas, Diplazium lustrosum A. Rojas and Diplazium rodriguezii A. Rojas. The first species is related to D. skutchii Lellinger, but differs from it by having glabrous stipe, glabrous blade abaxially, hyaline and entire indusia, and distributed and higher elevations. The second species is different to D. diplazioides (Klotzsch et H. Karst.) Alston by having densely scaly stipe, rachis and costa, relative bigger pinnae and entire to erose indusia. After that, the third species differs from D. werckleanum Christ by thicker rhizome, bigger rhizome scales and blade with 1 - 2 buds at apex. Consecutively, the fourth species differs from D. lindbergii (Mett.) H. Christ by thinner rhizome, shorter fronds, longer stipe, smaller blade, less pinnae pairs, shiny laminar tissue and veins 3 - 5 pairs per segment . Finally, the fifth species is related to D. tungurahuae (Sodiro) C. Chr., but with abaxially glabrous rachis and costae, pinnules 4 - 5 times longer than wide and entire, costules adaxially without wings, veins abaxially glabrous and reticulate along costae and between pinnate veins.