Family

Aspleniaceae

Nomenclature

Asplenium pellucidum Lam., Encycl. (Lamarck) 2: 305. 1786; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 428, f. 246. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 28. 1961; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 23: 236. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 86. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 282. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 144. 2000.

Asplenium hirtum Kaulf., Enum.: 169. 1824; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 149. 1883.

Description

Epiphytic or lithophytic. Rhizome short, erect, up to 1 cm diam., densely scaly; scales gradually narrowing from base towards long-tailed apex, up to 10 by 0.8 mm, dark brown to black, bright, with very thick internal cell-walls. Stipes dark purple, up to 10 cm or more long, or reduced auricle-like pinnae placed just above the rhizome. Laminae lanceolate in outline, broadest at middle, gradually narrowing towards both apex and base, up to 50 cm or more long, to 10 cm wide, sometimes a single bulbil on rachis near frond apex but not terminal; rachis covered with linear scales; lateral pinnae many, up to 50 pairs, the middle ones the largest, patent, sessile, gradually narrowing towards round to acute apex, broadly cuneate to truncate, at roundly auricled acroscopic base, narrowly cuneate at basiscopic base, lobed to 2/5 at margin, lobes up to 5 by 2.5 mm, rounded at slightly waved apex, including 4 or 5 veinlets branched from a single lateral vein, papyraceous to thinly chartaceous, lamina with many 3-pronged small black scales below; veins more or less visible. Sori elongate along posterior veinlets of vein groups, up to 7 mm long, more or less curved, not reaching the lobes.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Tak, Phitsanulok; EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan; CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi; PENINSULAR: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Satun, Yala.

Distribution in Cambodia

Mondulkiri.

Wider Distribution

Old World tropics, from E. Africa to New Guinea, north to Sikkim.

Ecology

On mossy tree-trunks or on mossy or moist, muddy rocks usually near streams in evergreen forests at 100–900 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 5071, Phitsanulok, Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park (E); Middleton et al. 5129, Loei, Phu Suan Sai (E).

Voucher specimens - Cambodia

Long et al. CL400, Mondulkiri (P).