''Zygophlebia eminens'' is a species of

grammitid Grammitidoideae is a subfamily of the fern family Polypodiaceae, whose members are informally known as grammitids. It comprises a clade of about 750 species. They are distributed over higher elevations in both the Old and New World. This group w ...

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 ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

s and subtropical or tropical high-altitude

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

. Its veins are more regularly free than any other ''Zygophlebia'' species besides ''

Zygophlebia dudleyi ''Enterosora'' is a genus of ferns in the family Polypodiaceae, subfamily Grammitidoideae, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I). PPG I also recognizes the genus ''Zygophlebia'', which more rece ...

'', though some veins may be forked or fused.Bishop, L. Earl.
Zygophlebia, a New Genus of Grammitidaceae
'. American Fern Journal 79(3): 103-118 (1989) All ''Zygophlebia'' species are placed in the genus ''Enterosora'' by the ''Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World'', which treats this species as ''Enterosora eminens''. However, the checklist does not give an authority for the transfer, implying the name has not been formally published.

References

Polypodiaceae Ferns of the Americas Endemic flora of Ecuador Endangered plants Endangered biota of South America Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Polypodiaceae-stub