Resumen de Novelties in the fern genus Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) I. Three new taxa for Cuba
Renier Morejón Hernández, Carlos Sánchez
A recent study of about 2500 specimens from 23 herbaria globally complemented a taxonomic study of Cuban species of the genus Polystichum that has been carried out since 2000. Three new taxa of Cuban Polystichum are described: P. decoratum subsp. habanense, P. guajaibonense and P. sanchezii. The differences to allied species are discussed for each taxon. P. decoratum subsp. habanense, endemic to western Cuba, can be distinguished from the nominal subspecies, endemic to eastern Cuba, by the leaf morphology, the presence of a basiscopic auricle on the basal pinnae, pinna margin and position of the sori. P. guajaibonense is endemic to western Cuba and, based on the proliferous flagelliform apex, can be confused with P. machaerophyllum and P. ilicifolium, two species from eastern Cuba, from which it can nevertheless easily be distinguished by the conduplicate petiole scales and the conspicuously serrate margin immediately above the auricles. P. sanchezii co-occurs in central Cuba with P. trapezoides and can be separated from it by the 1-pinnate frond, shorter leaf apices, crenate pinna margin, sharply triangular pinnae auricles and the irregular and bicolored indusium margin. Pictures of the type specimens of each taxon are also provided.
