Athyrium erythropodum ( WoodsiAceAe , pteridophytA ) , A neW philippine record

Athyrium erythropodum Hayata, which was previously thought to be endemic to taiwan, has recently been discovered in the Philippines. this species has seldom been reported or described in the literature and if so has involved erroneous morphological description and diagnosis, which has caused confusion and partly erroneous taxonomic treatment. A detailed and revised diagnostic description of the species is provided in this report, along with illustrations showing its essential features.

, but are in need of modern revision.Based on Copeland's descriptions and specimens seen in Philippine herbaria, we recognize at least 10 species of Athyrium s.s. in the Philippines, though further study of the holdings at BM, kew and in herbaria in the United states is required.
Athyrium erythropodum Hayata (1914) was based on a collection from Mt Arisan (Alishan, Chiayi County), central taiwan.this species occurs widely in taiwan, growing on the semi-shaded floor of broad-leaved forests between 1500 and 2500 m altitude.But its identity has been confused because in the protologue (Hayata 1914) there is no mention of the costal spines present in this species.the Flora of taiwan (deVol & kuo 1975(deVol & kuo , shieh et al. 1994) therefore stated erroneously that it was "without spines on upper surface", which caused the misplacement of this species into section Polystichoides Ching & Y.t.Hsieh (see Wang 1997Wang , 1999)).this misunderstanding also caused the proposal of a new species, A. sungkangense C. M.kuo, nom. nud. (kuo 1997) based on a specimen of A. erythropodum.
Athyrium erythropodum was recently found by us on Mt kitanglad, Mindanao island in the Philippines, as a new country record.The first author also identified further specimens of it deposited under other names in the Philippine National Herbarium, Manila (PNH) and the Museum of Natural History Herbarium, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, Laguna (CAHUP).Here we present a comprehensive taxonomic description, distributional notes and comparison of its morphological characteristics with related species (table 1).Athyrium erythropodum Hayata (1914)  fully expanded 25-70 by 10-60 cm; widely deltate-lanceolate, basal pinnae opposite or subopposite, medial pairs alternate; rachis glabrous, with only a few unicellular hairs at the intersections of the adaxial surface grooves; pinnae anadromous at their base; 1.5-5 by 5 -30 cm, ovate to broadly lanceolate, falcate, petiole 3-10 mm long, ascending, short spines present on the upper surface of the adaxial costae, becoming more prominent from the middle to the apex of the pinnae; lowest pinnae with elongated basiscopic pinnules; pinnules with petiole 2-3 mm, papyraceous to chartaceous, or herbaceous; margin serrate, apex acute, becoming pinnatifid in the longer basiscopic pinnules of lower pinnae, costules of the largest pinnules sometimes bearing spines.Sori close to the midrib, linear, J-shaped or somewhat hippocrepiform, indusia persistent.Spores, perispore rugose, granulate on the surface.
distribution -taiwan and the Philippines (Luzon and Mindanao).Notes -specimens of A. erythropodum deposited in Philippine herbaria had been misidentified as A. mearnsianum and A. brevipinnulum by several taxonomists.the type of A. mearnsianum has the pinnules with rounded apices, crenate or shallowly serrate margins and the pinnae either sessile or with short petioles.it is thus rather easy to distinguish it from A. erythropodum.the other name that was misapplied is A. brevipinnulum which has brown scales on the stipe-base and sessile pinnae and pinnules.the differences of this species from A. erythropodum are given in table 1.
According to kuo (1985) and shieh et al. (1994), A. erythropodum is distributed in taiwan and south Japan.However, A. yakusimense tagawa, from south Japan, which was listed by kuo as a synonym of A. erythropodum, is an independent species, readily distinguishable from it by its frond morphology: pinnae sessile or less than 2 mm long and with light brown scales.thus until now A. erythropodum was only known to be endemic to taiwan.As the range of A. erythropodum is now known to extend to the Philippines it is no longer to be treated as a taiwanese endemic.specimens examined: Taiwan.P.F.Lu 10143, 12646, 12776, 14064, B.J. Wang 14927, 17830-965, 18402, 18801- ACkNOWLEdgEMENts the authors express their sincere thanks to the curators of the Philippine National Herbarium (PNH), Manila, the Museum of Natural History Herbarium, University of the Philippines at Los Baños
Anisocampium, Cornopteris, Deparia and Diplazium) have been reported from the Philippines