Sphaerostephanos unitus var. mucronatus
Content
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Maluku (Maluku present); New Guinea present; Philippines (Philippines present); Sulawesi (Sulawesi present), Lesser Sunda Is present, Micronesia present, Pacific: Fiji (Fiji present); Samoa (Samoa present); Tonga (Tonga present), Palau present, Polynesia present, Sumba present, Timor present, Wetar present
Polynesia (Samoa, Fiji, Tonga), Micronesia (Palau), and Malesia: New Guinea, Moluccas, Lesser Sunda Is. (Sumba, Wetar, Timor), Celebes, Philippines and Borneo.
Notes
The characteristic glands on the lower surface of costules and veins were described by Mettenius but ignored by all others. Mettenius however made a confusion by adopting the name multilineatum from Wallich and citing Wallich 353 from Penang, which represents the species here named S. penniger, very different from the Cuming specimens which were clearly the basis of Mettenius's description. Beddome later adopted the Wallich epithet for S. penniger.
Baker wrongly referred Cuming 182 to Nephrodium haenkeanum. Fournier also adopted this name in his work on the ferns of New Caledonia, but his citation of specimens shows that he confused it with other species. The New Caledonia specimens which he so named are S. invisus.
The varietal name mucronatus was first published by J. Smith in 1843, as a nomen nudum under which he cited specimens of three species; it was not validated until Christ's description of 1907. Both var. unitus and var. mucronatus occur in the Lesser Sunda Islands; they may occupy different habitats; records are inadequate.
Baker wrongly referred Cuming 182 to Nephrodium haenkeanum. Fournier also adopted this name in his work on the ferns of New Caledonia, but his citation of specimens shows that he confused it with other species. The New Caledonia specimens which he so named are S. invisus.
The varietal name mucronatus was first published by J. Smith in 1843, as a nomen nudum under which he cited specimens of three species; it was not validated until Christ's description of 1907. Both var. unitus and var. mucronatus occur in the Lesser Sunda Islands; they may occupy different habitats; records are inadequate.