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Moranopteris : A new Neotropical genus of grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae) segregated from Asian Micropolypodium
Author(s) -
Hirai Regina Y.,
Rouhan Germinal,
Labiak Paulo H.,
Ranker Tom A.,
Prado Jefferson
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
taxon
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1996-8175
pISSN - 0040-0262
DOI - 10.1002/tax.604015
Subject(s) - biology , synapomorphy , polypodiaceae , genus , botany , maximum parsimony , phylogenetic tree , clade , evolutionary biology , fern , gene , biochemistry
Moranopteris , a new genus of grammitid ferns here described, is segregated from Micropolypodium on the basis of molecular phylogenetic analyses (plastid sequences including atpB, rbcL, and trnL‐trnF ) and morphological characters. Bayesian and maximum parsimony analyses support Moranopteris as sister clade to a group that includes Micropolypodium s.str. and 11 or 12 other genera, mostly from the Old World. A morphological synapomorphy for the species of Moranopteris is the presence of minute and slightly catenate branched hairs (with or without a setiform branch) and sometimes unbranched hairs occurring together on the stipes, costae, and laminar tissues abaxially. In contrast, Micropolypodium s.str. has only minute, catenate, and unbranched hairs borne on the same parts of the leaves. The new genus Moranopteris comprises 28 species—including two new species here described, M. rupicola and M. simplex —and one hybrid, occurring in the Neotropics. The 27 necessary new combinations are here proposed. Our results suggest that Micropolypodium is confined to eastern Asia.