Family

Pteridaceae, subfamily Vittarioideae

Nomenclature

Haplopteris flexuosa (Fée) E.H.Crane, Syst. Bot. 22: 514. 1998 [‘1997’]. – Vittaria flexuosa Fée, Mém. Foug., 3. Hist. Vittar. 16. 1852; Ching, Sinensia 1: 187. 1931; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 199. 1940; C.Chr., Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 26: 333. 1931; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 611. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 23: 244. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 111. 1969; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 225. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 107, 136. 2000. – Type: According to Ching (Sinensia, 1931) the type was based upon Wallich 144 (pro parte), plants collected in both Nepal (1821) and Kumaun and mounted on one sheet in Herb. Wallich  The other sheets of Wallich 144 in Herb. Wallich are Haplopteris elongata .

Vittaria filipes Christ, Bull. Geogr. Bot. Mans 1907: 150. 1907. – Vittaria flexuosa var. filipes (Christ) Tardieu & C.Chr., Notul. Syst. (Paris) 7: 12. 1938; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 199. 1940.

Vittaria lineata auct. non Sw.: Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 407. 1883; E.Smith, J. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl. 8: 7. 1929.

Description

Rhizome short, up to 4 mm diam., bearing close fronds, densely scaly; scales linear, gradually narrowing towards hair-pointed apex, up to 5 by 0.7 mm, brown to dark brown, clathrate, minutely, toothed at margin. Stipes narrowly winged throughout, dark at the very base. Laminae linear, usually inrolled at margin in dried condition, 15–45(–80) by up to 1 cm, gradually narrowing towards long-tailed apex, gradually narrowing downwards in to the narrow wings of stipe; costa strongly raised to the apex on lower surface, indistinct on upper surface, pale. Sori in submarginal grooves usually at 1/5– 1/4 way from margin to midrib, sometimes not wholly immersed, usually on upper half of frond except the very apex .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Tak, Phitsanulok; NORTH-EASTERN: Phetchabun, Loei; CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi, Trat; PENINSULAR: Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Distribution in Laos

Champasak, Salavan.

Distribution in Cambodia

Kampot.

Wider Distribution

E Himalaya to SW and S China and Indochina, north to Japan, south to Peninsular Malaysia.

Ecology

On tree trunks or moist rocks usually in lower montane forests at more than 1000 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. 4871, Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep (E); Middleton et al. 4952, Chiang Mai, Doi Pha Ti Do (E); Maxwell 97-1251, Chiang Rai (CMU).