- IPNI Life Sciences Identifier (LSID)
- urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:60452467-2
- Publication
- American Fern Journal; a quarterly devoted to ferns.
- Collation
- 98(4): 219 (-222; f.2,7B)
- Date of Publication
- dt. 2008; issued 27 Mar 2009
- Family as entered in IPNI
- Grammitidaceae
Type Information
- Collector Team
- M. Lehnert 367
- Locality
- Cotapata, detras del gasolinero, alt. 3200 m
- Collection Date
- 25 Sep 2002
- Type Herbaria
- holotype LPB
isotype GOET
isotype UC - Latitude
- 16° 17' S
- Longitude
- 67° 51' W
- Distribution Of Types
- Nor Yungas (La Paz, Bolivia, Western South America, Southern America)
Remarks
The name refers to the numerous apical cells on the scale tips; these cells resemble the head of Medusa, one of the Gorgons in Greek mythology, which had snakes instead of hair (Latin, caput = head). Melpomene caput-gorgonis grows in wet montane forests and elfin forests at 2680–3200 m in southern Peru and Bolivia (Fig. 7B). The most distinguishing feature of this species is the broad scales with the abundant apical papillae. No other species of Melpomene has scale apices that provide a base for papillae several cells wide. Melpomene flabelliformis can be distinguished from M. caput-gorgonis by its distant fronds and glabrous or glabrescent petioles (vs. fronds close and petioles persistently hairy in M. caput-gorgonis). Melpomene flagellata is generally more slender in habit and most features, i.e., laminae to 9(–16) mm wide (vs. to 22 mm), rhizomes thinner and ascending, petiole scales narrower, and hairs in the sori longer. Melpomene caput-gorgonis grows together with M. paradoxa, which can be distinguished by its longer, glabrescent petioles and shorter segments; the latter species also forms patches with the fronds erect to arching whereas M. caput-gorgonis grows solitary with arching to pendent fronds.