LAST UPDATED IN 16.02.2024
⋵: 'ENDEMICS'
Lycophyta are a group of vascular plants, one of the oldest lineages of extant vascular plants; the group contains extinct plants that have been dated from the Silurian (ca. 425 M years ago); also were some of the dominating plant species of the Carboniferous period, and included the tree-like Lepidodendrales, some of which grew over 40m in height, although extant lycophytes are relatively small plants (Wikipedia). Via Home et al. (Freie University, Berlin), Lycophytes and Monilophytes are sucessive sisters of Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.
All data below follows the World Ferns website (SEE).
ISOETALES
A single family in this order, Isoetaceae, and a single genus, Isoetes L., with 204 spp., subcosmopolitan. 37 in U.S.A., 32 in Brazil (24⋵), 12 in Colombia and 8 in Mexico.
BRAZIL NEW SCENARY
To surpass the U.S.A, Brazil would only need six new species of Isoetes.
LYCOPODIALES
A single family, Lycopodiaceae (17/)492 spp. Largest diversities in New World are Colombia (8/94, 75 in Phlegmariurus), Brazil (9/62), U.S.A. (8/23, 1/3 in Huperzia) and Mexico (6/23, 17 in Phlegmariurus).
Brazil leads Mexico in all Mexican genera except tied status in Lycopodium (1 ✕ 1) and lose in Huperzia (2 ✕ 1). Brazil leads Colombia in all Colombian genera except tied status in Lycopodiella (4 ✕ 4), Austrolycopodium (1 ✕ 1), Diphasium (1 ✕ 1), Lycopodium (1 ✕ 1) and lose in Palhinhaea (8 ✕ 6) and Phlegmariurus (75 ✕ 39).
BRAZIL NEW SCENARY
To decisively surpass its rivals Mexico and Colombia, Brazil would need new species of Phlegmariurus (37 new), Palhinhaea (3 new), Huperzia (2 new), Lycopodium (1 new), Lycopodiella (1 new), Austrolycopodium (1 new), and Diphasium (1 new). With these 46 additional species, Brazil would reach (9/)108 species in the group.
LYCOPODIELLOOIDEAE (5/57)
Brownseya (Kunze) Li Bing Zhang, L.D.Sheph., D.K.Chen, X.M.Zhou & H.He (1, Australia, Papuasia, New Zealand, New Caledonia).
Lateristachys Holub. (3, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand).
Lycopodiella Holub. 12 spp., holarctic and tropical America, six in U.S.A., 4 in Colombia and 4 in Brazil, none in Mexico.
Palhinhaea Franco & Vasconcellos. 25 spp., pantropical, 8 in Colombia, six in Brazil, only one in Mexico and U.S.A.
Pseudolycopodiella Holub. 16 spp., widely scattered worldwide, 7 in Brazil, 3 in Colombia, two in U.S.A., only one in Mexico.
LYCOPODIOIDEAE (9/45)
Austrolycopodium Holub. 7 spp., temperate southern hemisphere, mostly circumantarctic, one to tropical Africa, Brazil and Colombia one each.
Dendrolycopodium Haines. 5 spp., North America (3 in U.S.A.) and E Asia.
Diphasiastrum Holub. 17 spp., temperate northern hemisphere (5 in U.S.A.), one in South Africa and Madagascar, two to tropical America: D. thyoides (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Holub widely from Mexico to Uruguay, except Chile and Caribbean, and D. falcatum B.Øllg. & P.G.Windisch endemic to SE Brazil
Diphasium Presl ex Rothmaler. 4 spp., D. jussiaei (Desv. ex Poir.) Rothm. in Costa Rica to Bolivia and Brazil, D. gayanum (J.Rémy) Holub in Chile and Argentina, D. lawessonianum (B.Øllg.) B.Øllg. endemic to Ecuador, and D. cariosum (G.Forst.) Rothm. from Philippines and Borneo to New Zealand.
Lycopodiastrum Holub ex Dixit. (1, Asia).
Lycopodium L. 7 spp., mainly temperate and subarctic regions, three in New World, one continentaly confined to Canada and U.S.A., L. cernua L. widely in almost all New World, and L. vestitum Desv. ex Poir. from Peru and Ecuador, possibly in Venezuela.
Pseudodiphasium Holub. (1, Asia, Australia, New Zealand).
Pseudolycopodium Holub. (1, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia).
Spinulum Haines. Two spp., S. lioui Li Bing Zhang & H.He (Russian Far East, China, Mongolia; North Korea; South Korea; Japan) and S. annotinum (L.) A.Haines (over Europe, Caucasus, Turkyie, Kazakhstan, Alaska to S U.S.A.).
HUPERZIOIDEAE (3/370)
Huperzia Bernhardi. 62 spp., 7 in U.S.A., two in Mexico, one in Brazil (endemic), none in Colombia.
Phlegmariurus Holub. 307 spp., worldwide pantropical. 75 in Colombia, 39 in Brazil, 17 in Mexico and only one in U.S.A.
Phlegmariurus ruber (Cham. & Schlecht.) B.Øllg., endemic to ferruginous places in Minas Gerais state, SE Brazil
Phylloglossum Kunze. (1, Australia and New Zealand).
SELAGINELLALES
A single family, Selaginellaceae, with (19/)770 spp. and nine genera in New World. U.S.A includes 7 genera (one endemic, and Lepidoselaginella, Valdespinoa and Selaginoides absent in Brazil), Mexico six (Didiclis and Lepidoselaginella absents in Brazil), Colombia six (Didiclis absent in Brazil), and Brazil includes only five (Gymnogynum, Bryodesma, Megaloselaginella, Pulviniella and Selaginella).
Largest diversities in New World by genera priority criteria: Colombia (6/97), Brazil (5/81), U.S.A. (7/36) and Mexico (6/80).
Brazil and Colombia tied in Bryodesma, Megalosellaginella and Pulviniella. Brazil lose for Mexico in Bryodesma (21 ✕ 2) and Pulviniella (2 ✕ 1). Brazil lose for Colombia in Gymnogynum (24 ✕ 16) and Selaginella (67 ✕ 60).
BRAZIL NEW SCENARY
With the addition of three new genera, Brazil would surpass the U.S.A. under this criterion, although one of them would have to be endemic in order to truly rival its American counterpart. In order to overtake Mexico and Colombia individually in number of species in each genera, the new taxa would need to be distributed as follows: Megalosellaginella (1 new species), Bryodesma (20 new), Pulviniella (2 new), Gymnogynum (9 new), and Selaginella (8 new), totaling 39 species. With three new genera and 39 new species, Brazil would reach 8 genera and 120 species overall.
SELAGINELLOIDEAE
Selaginoides ‣ two sp., S. spinulosa from Artic to Nevada, Colorado, Maine, Mediterranean, Caucasus and souther Russia, also in Japan, and S. deflexa endemic to Hawaii.
BOREOSELAGINELLOIDAE
Boreoselaginella ‣ 6, E Asia to Russia.
GYMNOGYNOIDEAE
Afroselaginella (4, endemic to Africa).
Megaloselaginella Li Bing Zhang & X.M.Zhou. Three spp., two from Costa Rica to N Brazil (one a venezuelan endemic, Colombia and Brazil one each), one in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Gymnogynum P.Beauv. 48 spp., mostly tropical America, 1 tropical Africa, 1 in Asia; 24 in Colombia, 16 in Brazil and 7 in Mexico.
Ericetorum (8, Africa, Madagascar and Australia).
Lepidoselaginella Li Bing Zhang & X.M.Zhou. Three spp. from Mexico, L. lepidophylla (Hook. & Grev.) Li Bing Zhang & X.M.Zhou up to SW U.S.A. in north and Costa Rica in south.
Bryodesma Soják. 56 spp., almost cosmopolitan, mostly in temperate areas, many in U.S.A. (27) and Mexico (21). Colombia and Brazil two each.
SINOSELAGINELLOIDEAE (absent in New World)
Austroselaginella ‣ 4, endemic to Australia.
Korallia ‣ 15, Madagascar and adjacent islands.
Sinoselaginella ‣ 5, China extending to the Arabic area and E Africa.
PULVINELLIOIDEAE
Pulviniella ‣ 17 spp., scattered almost cosmopolitan, several in China, 3 in New World: P. convoluta from Mexico to Brazil, Paraguay and Caribbean, P. gypsophila from Mexico, and P. pilifera from SW U.S.A. to NW Mexico.
LYCOPODIOIDOIDEAE (South American absent in Brazil)
Hypopterygiopsis ‣ 170, Asia and Pacific islands and a few in Africa and Madagascar.
Didiclis ‣ 70 spp., Africa, Asia, and Australasia, only one in New World, D. hoffmannii, from Mexico do Ecuador.
Lycopodioides ‣ 12, Eurasia.
Valdespinoa ‣ only one sp., endemic to NW U.S.A.
SELAGINELLOIDEAE
Chuselaginella ‣ 70, Africa, Asia, Australia and southern Pacific islands.
Kungiselaginella ‣ 12, Asia.
Selaginella ‣ 231 spp., New World, mostly tropical America, only very few tropical Africa. 67 in Colombia, 60 in Brazil, 45 in Mexico, and only 4 in U.S.A.
Simplified maximum likelihood phylogeny of Selaginellaceae based on plastid rbcL and five nuclear markers