Family

Dryopteridaceae

Nomenclature

Bolbitis virens (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Schott, Gen. Fil.: ad t. 14. 1834; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 468, f. 275. 1955 [‘1954’]; Tagawa & K. Iwats, SouthE. Asian Stud. 3(3): 85. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 91. 1967; Hennipman, Blumea 18: 149. 1970; Hennipman, Leiden Bot. Ser. 2: 180, f. 47 & 48. 1977; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 314. 1988; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 185. 2000. – Acrostichum virens Wall. ex Hook. & Grev., Icon. Filic. II.: pl. 231. 1831. – Campium virens (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) C.Presl, Tent. Pterid.: 239. 1836; Copel., Philipp. J. Sci. 37: 388, f. 39. 1928.

Bolbitis costata auct. non (C.Presl) Ching: Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 30. 1961.

Bolbitis virens (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Schott var. virens

Description

For the species :

Terrestrial or lithophytic. Rhizome short creeping, thick, densely scaly; scales thin but firm, dark brown, clathrate, up to 8 by 1.5 mm. Sterile frond: stipe 30–40 cm long, densely scaly throughout, scales on upper portion light brown, ferrugineous, appressed, irregular in shape; lamina oblong-ovate to oblong, 35–60 by about 30 cm; lateral pinnae 5–7 pairs, stalked, straight, ascending or patent in lower ones, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, caudate at apex, sometimes with bulbils on midrib near apex, narrowly cuneate or unequally rounded at base, up to 25 by 6 cm, toothed at margin, more or less waved; costa minutely scaly beneath, veins slightly raised on undersurface, reticulate with a few included veinlets in each areole; subcoriaceous, glabrous, green both in living and dried condition, terminal pinna like lateral ones or slightly larger, viviparous near apex. Fertile frond nearly as high as the sterile ones: stipe up to 55 cm long; lamina up to 40 by 20 cm; pinnae 4–6 pairs, linear, acuminate at apex, sometimes with bulbils on midrib near apex, stalked, up to 20 by 2 cm; sporangia dispersed on the whole undersurface of pinnae .

For the variety

Pinnae of fertile frond 8–12 by 0.2–0.7 cm, usually more than 15 times as long as wide.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Phrae, Tak; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi; PENINSULAR: Surat Thani.

Wider Distribution

Yunnan, Bangladesh (Chittagong), and Burma.

Ecology

On mountain slopes often near streams in dense mountain forests at 800–1200 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4697, Chanthaburi, Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary (E); Middleton et al. 4755, Kanchanaburi, Khao Laem National Park (E); Middleton et al. 4864, Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep-Doi Pui National Park (E).