A Decade of New Pteridophyte Records for the State of Veracruz, Mexico

Veracruz, with 542 recorded species, is the third richest state in Mexico in terms of total fern diversity. Field work, herbarium studies, and a revision of literature during the last decade revealed 22 new state records. Five of these belong to Elaphoglossum, four are filmy ferns, and three are grammitids. Most of the new taxa were collected in the endangered humid montane and pine-oak forests of the central and Los Tuxtlas area during recent research projects. Another 13 species, mainly within Elaphoglossum and Selaginella, have been published as new records in the literature. Whereas several of these might possibly be confirmed in the future, others form part of poorly known species complexes that require specific studies, and we consider them as doubtful or unverified. Our study highlights the need of more fern inventories in remote and mostly unexplored areas, as well as revisions of national and local herbaria, both of which may reveal additional species new to science or range extensions.