Published July 15, 2021 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Alsophila srilankensis Ranil, comb. nov.

Authors/Creators

Description

3. Alsophila srilankensis (Ranil) Ranil, comb. nov.

Basionym: Cyathea srilankensis Ranil (2010:39).

Type:— SRI LANKA, Sabaragamuwa Province, Ratnapura District, Sinharaja forest, 542 m, R. H. G . Ranil 50 R, 15 May 2017 (holotype PDA!).

Distribution:— Sri Lanka (endemic).

Note:—In Sri Lanka, A. srilankensis remotely resembles A. hookeri (Thwaites) R.M.Tryon from which it is easily distinguished by its larger trunk and leaves as well as by its pinnate to pinnatisect pinnae (Ranil et al., 2010b). Also, it was clear that A. srilankensis is somewhat morphologically similar only to Alsophila humilis J.Sm., which occurs in Tanzania and Kenya, and to Alsophila schliebenii Reimers in Tanzania. Though, Holttum (1981) suggested an affinity of Sri Lankan tree ferns with African elements, Janssen et al. (2008) claimed that Sri Lankan tree ferns form a monophyletic group not closely related to African tree ferns. However, the phylogenetic position of A. srilankensis remains to be further elucidated.

Notes

Published as part of Rajapaksha, Ranil, 2021, Six new combinations and one new natural hybrid of ferns from Sri Lanka, pp. 183-186 in Phytotaxa 511 (2) on page 184, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.511.2.6, http://zenodo.org/record/5426642

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Collection code
R, H, G , R, PDA
Event date
2017-05-15
Verbatim event date
2017-05-15
Scientific name authorship
Ranil
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Order
Cyatheales
Family
Cyatheaceae
Genus
Alsophila
Species
srilankensis
Taxon rank
species
Taxonomic status
comb. nov.
Type status
holotype

References

  • Ranil, R. H. G., Pushpakumara, D. K. N. G., Janssen, T., Wijesundara, D. S. A. & Dhanasekara, D. U. M. B. (2010 b) Cyathea srilankensis Ranil (Cyatheaceae): A new tree fern species from Sri Lanka. American Fern Journal 100: 39 - 44. https: // doi. org / 10.1640 / 0002 - 8444 - 100.1.39
  • Janssen, T. & Rakotonduainibe, F. (2008) A revision of the indusiate scaly tree ferns (Cyatheaceae, Cyathea subgen. Alsophila sect. Alsophila) in Madagascar, the Comoros and the seychlles. Adansonia 30: 221 - 376.