''Dendroconche annabellae'' is a species of

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

in the family

Polypodiaceae Polypodiaceae is a family of ferns. In the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I), the family includes around 65 genera and an estimated 1,650 species and is placed in the order Polypodiales, suborder Polypodiineae. A broader ...

, subfamily

Microsoroideae Microsoroideae is a subfamily in the fern family Polypodiaceae in the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). The subfamily is also treated as the tribe Microsoreae within a very broadly defined family Polypodiaceae ''se ...

. It is endemic to

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

Description

''Dendroconche annabellae'' has a partially

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

habit. It grows from long, creeping

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

s, that are flattened from top to bottom and have occasional cavities. The rhizomes have dark brown scales, 4–7 mm long and 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Two kinds of root are produced by the rhizomes. Lateral roots clasp the tree on which the plant is growing. Roots emerging from the underside of the rhizome enter the soil. Leaves that do not produce spores (sterile leaves) are more or less circular in outline, 8–12 cm across, with at most a very short petiole, and are tightly pressed against the trunk of the supporting tree. The spore-bearing leaves (fertile leaves) have the same shape at the base, but then have a long narrow "tail", up to 28 cm long and 1 cm across, which curves away from the tree trunk and bears the round sori in a single row. All the leaves have prominent veins. The shape of the fertile leaves distinguishes ''D. annabellae'' from the related '' D. kingii'' and '' D. linguiforme''. Fertile leaves of ''D. kingii'' have a wider "tail", 2–5 cm wide rather than less than 1.5 cm wide. The fertile leaves of ''D. kingii'' lack the conspicuously rounded basal portion, being lanceolate or with a narrowed central portion.

Taxonomy

''Dendroconche annabellae'' was first described by Henry Ogg Forbes in 1825 as ''Polypodium annabellae''. In 1911,

Edwin Copeland Edwin Bingham Copeland (September 30, 1873 – March 16, 1964) was an American botanist and agriculturist. He is known for founding the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna and for being one of the America's ...

transferred it to his new genus ''

Dendroconche ''Dendroconche'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Microsoroideae, erected in 2019. , the genus was not accepted by some sources. Description Species of ''Dendroconche'' are usually partially epiphytic. They grow from l ...

'' as the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

; initially it was the only species in the genus. The orb-shaped leaves that tightly clasp the tree on which the plant grows were a major distinguishing feature. Copeland later included another species in the genus as ''D. kingii''. Subsequently, both species were placed in the genus '' Microsorum'' and relegated to synonyms of what was then considered to be ''M. linguiforme''. Studies from 2006 onwards showed that ''Microsorum'' was not monophyletic and that ''M. linguiforme'' was more closely related to ''

Lecanopteris ''Lecanopteris'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Microsoroideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). They have swollen hollow rhizomes that provide homes for symbiotic ants ...

''. The genus ''Dendroconche'' was revived in 2019 as a result of a

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study, and Copeland's two species, including ''D. annabellae'', distinguished from ''

Dendroconche linguiforme ''Dendroconche'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Microsoroideae, erected in 2019. , the genus was not accepted by some sources. Description Species of ''Dendroconche'' are usually partially epiphytic. They grow from lo ...

''.

Distribution and habitat

''Dendroconche annabellae'' is endemic to the island of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, more specifically to

, where it is found at elevations of 500–1300 m.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15338306, from2=Q17171850, from3=Q38237062 Polypodiaceae Flora of New Guinea Plants described in 1825