New molecular and morphological evidences favor a combination of Blechnum bakeri C.Chr. in Cranfillia Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida), thus extending the distribution of Cranfillia to Madagascar and East Africa

ABSTRACT In the fern family Blechnaceae, Cranfillia Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich and Austroblechnum Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich are two genera recently described from the splitting of Blechnum L. The assignation of species to Cranfillia or Austroblechnum could be difficult due to their morphological similarities. Focusing on Austroblechnum bakeri (C.Chr.) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich, and based on new molecular and morphological evidence, we show that Austroblechnum bakeri actually belongs to the genus Cranfillia as Cranfillia bakeri (C.Chr.) Vázquez Ferreira & S. Molino, comb. nov. This new combination extends the distribution of the genus Cranfillia to Madagascar and East Africa. Additionally, we propose that partially adnate basal pairs of pinnae and deflexed first pair of pinnae could represent new diagnostic characters to distinguish Cranfillia from Austroblechnum. Finally, we provide a taxonomic treatment of Cranfillia bakeri with all recognized synonyms, and conduct detailed lectotypification for Blechnum bakeri C.Chr.