Family

Dryopteridaceae

Nomenclature

Acrophorus nodosus C.Presl, Tent. Pterid.: 94, t. 3, f 2. 1836. – Leucostegia nodosa (C.Presl) Bedd., Suppl. Ferns Brit. Ind.: 4. 1876; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 54, f. 26 1883, p.p. – Peranema nodosa (C.Presl) Fraser-Jenk., Taxon. Revis. Indian Subcontinental Pteridophytes : 317. 2008.

Acrophorus stipellatus T.Moore, Gard. Chron. 1854: 135. 1854, nom. nud.; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 296, f. 31.3 & 31.4. 1941; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 92. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 328, f. 28.1 & 28.2. 1988; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 155, 156, 198. 2000.

Description

Terrestrial. Rhizome thick, bearing a few fronds; scales oblong-oval, acute to acuminate at apex, cordate at base, up to 1 cm or more long, 8 mm broad, membranous, brown, concolorous. Stipes stramineous, rather densely scaly at base, about 80 cm long. Laminae oblong-subdeltoid, acute at apex, up to 100 by 80 cm, 4 to 5 times pinnately divided; lateral pinnae several pairs, opposite, the lowest the largest, asymmetrically oblong-subtriangular, up to 50 by 35 cm, basal anterior pinnules larger; pinna-rachis at right angles to rachis, i.e. almost straight with the opposite ones, slightly bending upwards in distal portion, grooved on upper surface, grooves separated from those of the joining axes by scaly edges; larger pinnule like upper pinna, oblong, rounded to moderately acute at apex, broadly cuneate to subtruncate at subsessile or shortly stalked base, 3–4 by 1.5 cm; ultimate segments oblong, unequally cuneate at sessile base, lobed almost to axes, up to 9 by 4 mm; lobes oblong or spathulate, entire; herbaceous, light green, veins all free, hairy on upper side with coarse multicellular hairs. Sori round, subterminal at veinlets; indusia cup-shaped, attached on basal side, at first covering the sori entirely, later only under sori, persistent .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai.

Wider Distribution

Himalayas to S China and Taiwan, north to southern edge of Japan (Isl. Yakushima).

Ecology

On humus-rich floor of dense evergreen forests only at highest regions higher than 1800 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

Least Concern (LC). This species is widespread and not under any known threat.

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4906, Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon National Park (E).