Family

Thelypteridaceae

Nomenclature

Macrothelypteris torresiana (Gaudich.) Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 8: 310. 1963; Holttum, Blumea 17: 27. 1969; Holttum, Fl. Males., Ser. II, Pterid. 1: 348, f. 2h–j. 1982 [‘1981’]; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 224. 2000. – Polystichum torresianum Gaudich. in Freyc., Voy. Bot.: 333. 1817. – Thelypteris torresiana (Gaudich.) Alston, Lilloa 30: 111. 1960; K.Iwats., J. Jap. Bot. 38: 314. 1963; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 3(3): 78. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 64. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 398. 1988. – Type: Gaudichaud, Mariana Islands (P, G).

Aspidium uliginosum Kunze, Linnaea 20: 6. 1847. – Dryopteris uliginosa (Kunze) C.Chr., Index Filic., Suppl. III: 100. 1934. – Thelypteris uliginosa (Kunze) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 6: 342. 1936; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 371. 1941; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 241. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 23: 232. 1965. – Type: Cult. Hort. Bot. Leipzig, orgin Java (BR).

Polypodium tenericaule Hook., Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 9: 353. 1857. – Nephrodium tenericaule (Hook.) Hook., Sp. Fil. 4: 142. 1862. – Lastrea tenericaulis (Hook.) T.Moore, Index Filic.; 99. 1858; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 266. 1883. – Type: Alexander s.n., China (K).

Aspidium setigerum auct. non (Blume) Kuhn: Christ, Bot. Tidsskr. 24: 108. 1901; C.Chr., Bot. Tidsskr. 32: 342. 1916.

Description

Rhizome short creeping to suberect; scales narrow, brown, up to 20 by 1.5 mm, hairy on dorsal surface as well as margin, the base often a few cells thick. Stipes 35–100 cm long, about 1 cm diam. near base, terete when fresh but grooved when dry, sometimes spiny in lower part. Laminae oblong to oblong-ovate, deeply tripinnatifid, 32–90 by 15–75 cm; pinnae 12–15 pairs, oblong, acuminate at apex, 9–40 by 5–20 cm; larger pinnules sessile, oblong-subdeltoid, acuminate at apex, up to 10 by 4 cm; ultimate segments oblong, oblique, rounded to moderately acute at apex, lobed to 3/4 way towards midrib; lobes oblong to subdeltoid, entire, sometimes involute; rachis terete, glabrous; pinna-rachis hairy on upper surface, costules winged throughout, hairy; veins and surfaces hairy with unicellular or multicellular hairs; texture herbaceous to softly papyraceous, green but often brownish when dried. Sori round, usually close to midrib of ultimate segments; indusia small, often covered by mature sporangia, round-reniform , with long hairs.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Tak; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok; SOUTH-EASTERN: Trat; PENINSULAR: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Satun, Yala.

Distribution in Laos

Vientiane.

Wider Distribution

Mascarene Islands, throughout tropical Asia, Polynesia, Hawaii, north to Japan and south to Australia; also naturalized in the New World.

Ecology

On sunny slopes along roads at edge of forests at low to medium altitudes.

Similar species

Macrothelypteris ornata (Wall. ex Bedd.) Ching

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4778, Kanchanaburi, Thong Pha Phum National Park (E).

Voucher specimens - Laos

Maxwell 99-140, Vientiane (CMU); Maxwell 99-204, Vientiane (CMU)