Appalachian Lady Fern, [*Athyrium asplenioides* forma *subtripinnatum*] - *Athyrium appalachensis* [proposed]

Appalachian Lady Fern [edits of 07 & 15 December 2023], [Athyrium asplenioides forma subtripinnatum] - Athyrium appalchensis [proposed]

LEAVES: clustered at the end of subterranean stem; erect; yellowish-green to green; 8-12 inches wide, 16-28 inches long; wide-based triangle in outline; thrice divided ; sub-leaflets (pinnules) shallowly lobed, lobes bluntly pointed; interior sub-leaflets (pinnules) of basal leaflets (pinnae) remain [nearly] constant in size, are not [greatly] reduced ; each leaflet (pinnule) has its corresponding upper (acroscopic) and lower (basioscopic) sub-leaflets (pinnules) of similar length. PETIOLES: yellowish-green to green; grooved on the upper surface. SORI: curved. HABITAT: [initially] known so far only from Macon County, North Carolina at elevations above 4,500 feet - except where associated with a waterfall; mesic conditions, along a mountain spring in a mature woodland; a woodland edge near a bald; a grassy verge to a bald; beside a waterfall. [now known from several high-elevation sites of the Appalachians/Smoky Mountains/Blue Ridge across several States]

1st record: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90300543 - 3,400 feet, Dry Falls, North Carolina
2nd record: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90888195 - same as above
3rd record: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97995288 - 5,200 feet, Wayah Bald
4th record: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127890150 - 5,200 feet Wayah Bald vicinity


Summary of my observations of this fern

Publicado el julio 26, 2022 09:29 TARDE por mjpapay mjpapay

Comentarios

Flora of West Virginia second edition mentions in description of Athyrium aspleniodes "Forma subtripinnatum (almost tripinnate) has the pinnules so deeply cut as to appear almost tripinnate; the blade is up to 4 dm. broad. Also throughout the state but less common"

Publicado por ccantley hace más de 1 año

@ccantley - Thank you.

Publicado por mjpapay hace más de 1 año

@ccantley

It would be nice to

have/see confirmed examples of Athyrium asplenioides forma subtrpinnatum
have ploidy counts of Athyrium asplenioides forma subtripinnatum in comparison to those of Athyrium asplenioides

It has so far been my experience that the thrice-divided Athryium in Macon County occur in distinctly mesic and cool habitats either by high elevation and north exposure, or in a shaded floodplain of a mountain stream at high elevation, or in the spray zone of a huge waterfall. The typical form of Athyrium asplenioides only requires shaded mesic conditions, irregardless of compass direction of slope exposure, or elevation.

It is early days in my understanding of the Appalachian Lady Fern, but for now it seems to me that it really could be something different. I have a sneaking suspicion that it is a relict species.

What is needed is more data, observational and chromosomal and DNA studies.

All I have at my disposal is to record observational information.

C'est la vie*, eh?

Publicado por mjpapay hace más de 1 año

@mjpapay i don't know the usual appearance and characters of A. asplenioides, thus don't know about certain deviations of your observations. Has this species long basal pinnae for usual, or not?
Perhaps there is a hidden relic species in those mountains, we can't know about, or exclude chances for sure.
Did you compare with other kinds of Athyriaceae, as the genus Diplazium and D. sibiricum ?
I may not do such comparison right now.
Kind regards
Erwin

Publicado por erwin_pteridophilos hace 7 meses

@erwin_pteridophilos - I agree with your Hypothesis that this may be a relict species of the mountains. I would also conjecture that it follows that it may be the ancestor of the Eastern North America species, Athyrium asplenioides and Athyrium angustum. Of course this needs to be investigated by modern DNA analyses.

Other iNat members have observed this fern at high elevations of the mountains, which have slowly been coming to my attention as I have reviewed observations of other species for which it has been mistaken (most commonly for Dennstaedtia punctilobula as a result of the increased divisions of that fern, and the yellow color of both ferns when exposed to long hours of direct sunlight, as is expected on high elevation mountain balds).

That is to say, I will be accumulating here a list of other observations of this fern, if only to affirm its proclivity of occurrence at high elevation, an indication that it is thusly restricted.

Publicado por mjpapay hace 4 meses

Summary of my **observations of this fern

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90300543 - 3,400 feet, Dry Falls, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90888195 - same as above
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97995288 - 5,200 feet, Wayah Bald, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/125823108 - 5,100 feet, Siler Bald, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135564240 - 4,800 feet, Macon County, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/135563756 - 4,800 feet, Macon County, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/129171395 - 3,700 feet, Winding Stair Gap, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127890150 - 5,200 feet, Wayah Bald vicinity, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/100008267 - 4,380 feet, Brasstown Bald, Georgia
- - - - - - - -
Observations by others
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/126326960 - 5,590 feet, Balsam Grove, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/83394910 - 5,600 feet, Black Mountain, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/127263491 - 6,500 feet, Mount Mitchell, North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93634460 - 3,250 feet, Linville Falls, (north slope) North Carolina
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/92151025 - 3,860 feet, Madison County, Virginia

Publicado por mjpapay hace 4 meses

@bkblack have you seen this?

Publicado por choess hace 4 meses

"Athyrium appalachense" instead of "A. appalachensis"
@mjpapay Michael, i can't judge the degree of differences between (usually shaped) Athyrium asplenioides or A. angustum, and the individuals treated by you subsumed under the proposed, invalid naming "Athyrium appalachensis". So this is just a naming suggestion to a potential new taxon at species rank, needing scientific evidence and valid publication. So far there will come a publication, this could be named "A. appalachense" as other species in the genus are neuter names, but not male/female ones.

Publicado por erwin_pteridophilos hace 4 meses

@erwin_pteridophilos
I agree that modern DNA analyses need to be applied here.

I have not suggested otherwise.

As shown by the observations listed above,
this taxon (with one extra division of the frond beyond usual Athyrium asplenioides)
occurs at high-elevations.

The distinction of the extra division of the frond,
and the high elevation occurrence,
are more than coincidence can provide.

This is why the matter should be investigated further,
and not relegated to disregard.

Publicado por mjpapay hace 4 meses

@tammor - My hope is to bring the taxon to light, so-to-speak, so that modern DNA analysese can be applied by specialists with such capability.

I am aware that there is an ancient history of published fern names,
each of which would have to be evaluated in comparison of this proposed taxon,
if for no other reason than determination of priority of use for a matching description of a fern of this region. It is a task in itself of almost insuperable undertaking (or so I imagine).

Both of these matters should be properly addressed. Neither of which have I attended to. My apologies.

Publicado por mjpapay hace 4 meses

thanks for this -- very interesting!!

Publicado por crothfels hace 4 meses

@mjpapay goodness, please don't apologize! These are great observations and we thank you for pulling them together. I'm not a taxonomist (or rather, the plants that I work with are dead for so long that there is no DNA anyway), but I don't know if DNA is necessarily a requirement. I've seen modern taxonomy papers that are based on morphological. Perhaps @crothfels can comment on this.

Publicado por tammor hace 4 meses

Yeah, don't worry about the nomenclatural aspects--I'm more than happy to sort those out for you in due time. (It's one of the ecosystem services I provide to the pteridological community.) I think it's a very manageable problem.

I will try to connect you up with Bertrand Black--he is doing his doctoral work right now at UVM on North (and Central) American Athyrium. He has not yet, as far as I know, distinguished any taxa on the East Coast apart from angustum/asplenioides, but he would absolutely be the best person to talk to about molecular approaches here.

Publicado por choess hace 4 meses

@choess - Thank you.

I am happy to merely be a gopher (go for this, go for that) for the person(s) that is willing to work on this matter.

That is to say I will do what I can do to help carry things forward, and will await communications and instructions.

Publicado por mjpapay hace 4 meses

The original description of f. subtripinnatum is https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/569453 and the type, collected near Luray, can be seen here: https://pteridoportal.org/portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=1811008

Publicado por choess hace 4 meses

@choess - Magnificent.

That is unmistakably the same fern as here, and a high altitude collection/observation too (3,500 and 3,600 feet noted).

[It is interesting that immediately below the description of Athyrium asplenioides forma subtripinnatum is a separate description of Athyrium angustum.]

Here is hoping it is still worthwhile to study the genetics of this fern to better understand its relationship with the "usual" Athyrium asplenioides of lower elevations.

Publicado por mjpapay hace 4 meses

I've added Athyrium asplenioides f. subtripinnatum to our taxonomy so that these individuals can be ID'd and more easily tracked.

Publicado por choess hace 3 meses

@choess - Thank you. I will change their identifications accordingly. Very much appreciated!

Publicado por mjpapay hace 3 meses

Agregar un comentario

Acceder o Crear una cuenta para agregar comentarios.