Tryonia, a new taenitidoid fern genus segregated from Jamesonia and Eriosorus (Pteridaceae)

Abstract

The Neotropical fern genera Eriosorus and Jamesonia have long been thought of as close relatives. Molecular phylogenetic studies have confirmed this notion but have also revealed that neither genus is monophyletic with respect to the other. As a result, all known species of Eriosorus were recently subsumed under the older generic name Jamesonia. Here, through an analysis of a four-gene plastid dataset, we show that several species traditionally treated in Eriosorus are in fact more closely related to other taenitidoid fern genera (namely Austrogramme, Pterozonium, Syngramma, and Taenitis) than they are to the large Jamesonia sensu lato clade. Tryonia Schuettp., J.Prado & A.T.Cochran gen. nov. is described to accommodate these species and four new combinations are provided. Tryonia is confined to southeastern Brazil and adjacent Uruguay; it is distinct (from most species of Jamesonia) in having stramineous rachises. © Alyssa T. Cochran et al.