Abstract
Athyrium haleakalae K.R. Wood & W.L. Wagner (Athyriaceae), a small lithophytic fern from East Maui, Hawaiian Islands, is described and illustrated. Notes on its distribution, ecology, and conservation status are also presented. The new species appears to be an obligate rheophyte, preferring sites of fast moving water along concave walls of streams and waterfalls. Athyrium haleakalae differs from the only other known Hawaiian Athyrium, Athyrium microphyllum (Sm.) Alston, in having rhizomes 1–3 cm long and lanceolate blades 1- to 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, 3–8(–11) × 1–3(–4) cm, as compared to Athyrium microphyllum having rhizomes (10–)15–30 cm long and ovate to ovate-triangular blades 3-pinnate-pinnatifid to 4-pinnate, 30–82 × 20–50 cm.
Highlights
Athyrium Roth, in the family Athyriaceae Alston, is a genus composed of ca. 230 species of terrestrial or epilithic plants with mostly erect or occasionally creeping or ascending rhizomes
The extent of occurrence and area of occupancy for Athyrium haleakalae was calculated by using ArcMap 10.2 in relation to coordinates recorded while collecting herbarium specimens or making field observations
Since its discovery in August of 2013 ca. 300 plants of Athyrium haleakalae have been observed in several headwater drainage systems of East Maui, namely Mokulehua and Kawakoe in the Hana Forest Reserve, Helele‘ike‘oha in the Koolau Forest Reserve, and Kīpahulu, near Palikea in Haleakalā National Park (Figure 2)
Summary
Athyrium Roth, in the family Athyriaceae Alston, is a genus composed of ca. 230 species of terrestrial or epilithic plants with mostly erect or occasionally creeping or ascending rhizomes. 54 species are known from the Japanese Archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands, Taiwan, and the Philippines (Salgado 1990, Kato 1995, Liu et al 2009). In 2016 the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG) published the most current understanding of lycophyte and fern phylogeny and in their community-derived classification they limit Athyriaceae to three genera, namely Athyrium, Deparia, and Diplazium, with an estimated 650 species. There are nine other athyrioid fern species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, namely Athyrium microphyllum (Sm.) Alston, Deparia cataracticola M. Presl) Diels (Palmer 2003, Vernon and Ranker 2013) This recent discovery and present publication of Athyrium haleakalae K.R. Wood & W.L. Wagner brings the total number of Hawaiian Athyriaceae to ten, and represents the second Athyrium species in the archipelago
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