Melpomene, a New Genus of Grammitidaceae (Pteridophyta) Alan R. SmithUniversity Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, U.S.A. Robbin C. MoranMissouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299,ABSTRACT. Melporene, a new genus of Gramn-nitidaceae, is described, and combinations are madefor the species known to belong to it. lelpomenecan be distinguished from all other Grainmnitidaceaeby its rhizome scales that are clathrate, basally cor-date, and entire except at the apex where providedwith one to ten minute papillae. The genus containsabout 20 species and is primarily neotropical. This paper is one in a series that have set forthnew generic concepts in neotropical (ramrnitida-ceae. In the series, Grarnnitis sensu lato has beendivided into smaller monophyletic groups that havenot previously been known or recognized. Thesegroups, given generic status, are (Coehlidium (Bish-op, 1978), Ceradenia (Bishop, 1988), Enterosora(Bishop & Smith, 1992), Grammnitis (Bishop, 1977),Lellingeria (Smith et al., 1991), and ZYgophlebia(Bishop, 1989). Each group is believed to be mono-phyletic because it is defined by several correlatingcharacteristics. In this paper, we describe anothermonophyletic group within the Cranmitidaceae:Jielpomene (the name of the Muse of Tragedy). The distinctness of Melpomene was first recog-nized by the late L. Earl Bishop. We have deter-mined what species belong to the genus and havefound additional characteristics that define it. There-fore, we take sole reponsibility for the descriptionof the genus and new combinations.Melpomene A. R. Smith & R. C. Moran, gen. nov. TYPE: IPolypodiulm moniliforie Lagasca ex Sw., Syn. Fil. 33. 1806. = Melpomene rnonili(frmis (Lagasca ex Sw.) A. R. Smith & R. C. Moran. Figure 1. Plantae epiphyticae terrestres vel rupestres; squamaerhizomatis clathratae denigratae brunneolae vel vulgo ru-bellae integrae, base cordatae, apice glandulis praeditae;phyllopodia absentia; folia plerumique pinnatisecta, hy-dathodis adaxialiter ornata; petioli et rhachides setosi, setiscastaneis; venae non furcatae librae; sori rotundi super-ficiales. Epiphytic, epipetric, or terrestrial; rhizome erector short-to long-creeping, the scales strongly clath-NovoN 2: 426-432. 1992.St. Louis, Missouri 63166-0299, U.S.A.rate, cordate basally and attached at a single point,usually blackish or reddish, never setulose, with oneto several papillose cells (glandular?) ca. 0.1 mmlong at the apex, these often dislodged and notpresent; phyllopodia absent; leaves pinnatifid, pin-natisect, or rarely 1-pinnate basally, linear to elliptic,pubescent and often setose, the hairs 0.1 0.2 nmnlong, branched, 2 8-celled, lax, pale reddish, withmost of the color concentrated at the cross walls,the setae 0.3 3 mm long, castaneous, multicellular(the cross walls sometimes difficult to observe), erectto spreading; hydathodes present; veins free, oftennot visible; sori round or (rarely) slightly oblong,discrete, superficial or rarely slightly sunken, lackingglobose, waxlike paraphyses, but some species withcastaneous receptacular setae. In his revision of American gramnitids (as (ten-opteris), Copeland (1955) treated the species ofMlelpomene in four of his ten species groups. HIeplaced most of the species of 1lelpomene, however,under the group of C. monilifiormis (ILagasca exSw.) J. Smith (the first of his ten groups). In thisgroup he also included several species now placedin Lellingeria and a few species belonging to othergenera. Copeland defined the ('. moniliformis groupvery loosely, saying that it consisted of "small, lin-ear, coriaceous ferns" that were related to (ten-opteris rnoniliformis (= Melpomnene mnoniliforrnis).Obviously, Copeland's characterization of the groupis not sufficient to establish mronophyly. Yet Mel-pormnee does appear to be monophyletic, and wehave found several characteristics of the stem scalesthat define it. All Melpomene species have scales that are clath-rate throughout (Fig. 1 B, 1), I, J , M, S). Thescales are entire except at or near the apex, whereone to ten, minute glandular cells occur (Fig. 11, J,0, P). The base of the scales is cordate, sometimeswith the basal auricles overlapping, and attached ata point (Fig. 1B, I), I, L, O, R). These four char-acteristics of the scales distinguish Mielpomene fromall other genera in the family. Lellingeria is the only other genus of neotropical
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