Family

Pteridaceae, subfamily Vittarioideae

Nomenclature

Haplopteris ensiformis (Sw.) E.H.Crane, Syst. Bot. 22: 514. 1998 [‘1997’]. – Vittaria ensiformis Sw., Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Neu. Schr. 2: 134, t. 7, f. 1. 1799; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 613, f. 359. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 34. 1961; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 223. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 135. 2000.

Vittaria hainanensis C.Chr. ex Ching, Sinensia 1: 182, pl. 1. 1931; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 198. 1940.

Description

Rhizome short creeping, slender, 0.7–1.5 mm diam., densely covered with a mass of roots, scaly throughout; scales linear, gradually narrowing from base towards tailed apex, up to 7 by 0.7 mm, dark brown to nearly black, clathrate, minutely toothed at margin. Stipes usually indistinct, narrowly winged throughout. Laminae linear, up to 40 by 2.5–6 mm, leathery; costa indistinct below or hardly visible on the lower portion, other veins indistinct, the margin sometimes inrolled. Sori immersed in deep grooves almost at margin, usually elongate along both margin of fronds.

Distribution in Thailand

SOUTH-WESTERN: Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan; CENTRAL: Bangkok; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi, Trat; PENINSULAR: Ranong, Surat Thani, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Trang, Satun, Pattani, Yala.

Distribution in Cambodia

Koh Kong.

Wider Distribution

Tropics of the Old World, the boundary is not certain.

Ecology

On tree trunks usually in dense evergreen forests at low or medium altitudes.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 5413, Phatthalung, Lan Mom Jui Waterfall (E).

Voucher specimens - Cambodia

Viboth R5-41, Koh Kong, Thma Baing (P).