Selaginella ophioderma (Selaginellaceae–Lycopodiophyta), a tropical rainforests new species from the Eastern slopes of the Andes mountains of northwestern South America in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru

Abstract

The Selaginella flabellata species group occurs throughout the Neotropics and is particularly species‐rich in South America, especially in the northwestern part of the continent (i.e. Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). In that region, S. praestans and S. quadrifaria are not well understood taxonomically due to similar habit and median leaves, as well as overlapping distribution ranges. As a result, they are frequently confused. Furthermore, S. quadrifaria, as currently conceived, is an extremely variable species. Nonetheless, our extensive study of 148 duplicates corresponding to 73 gatherings of S. praestans and S. quadrifaria, as currently conceived, allowed us to clearly separate them. In addition, based on our analyses, we segregated S. quadrifaria into two morphologically distinct taxa, including S. ophioderma, which is described here as a new species. Selaginella ophioderma is characterized by its leaves spreading along main stems and broadly ovate‐oblong to rotund or orbicular median leaves with broadly acute or obtuse to rounded apices. Moreover, its median leaf lower surfaces are covered by stomata at both sides of the midribs of the leaf laminae. Thus, we conclude that although S. ophioderma, S. praestans and S. quadrifaria have overlapping distribution ranges in the eastern slopes of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, they represent morphologically distinct taxa.