Taxonomic notes on the New Zealand flora: lectotypes in Dryopteridaceae and Nephrolepidaceae

Dryopteridaceae is a large family of ferns with 13 indigenous species in New Zealand, and Nephrolepidaceae a small family with two indigenous species. Five lectotypes are chosen for basionyms relevant to New Zealand - Aspidium cystostegium Hook., Nephrodium decompositum var. pubescens Hook., N. pentangulare Colenso, Polypodium setosum G.Forst., and Polypodium silvaticum Colenso. A neotype is designated for Nephrodium brownii Desv. No type material has been found for Aspidium coriaceum var. acutidentatum A.Rich., and the type for this remains undesignated. Lectotypes or neotypes need to be chosen for all names at specific and infraspecific rank, for which no holotype was designated by the original author, in order to fix the application of the name concerned. Justification for the choice is provided in each case. This article is a contribution towards clarifying the taxonomic and nomenclatural status of New Zealand plants for the plant names database (Nga Tipu Aotearoa) and the electronic Flora of New Zealand.