Family

Pteridaceae, subfamily Pteridoideae

Nomenclature

Pteris dalhousiae Hook., Sp. Fil. 2: 170, t. 121A. 1858; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 110. 1883; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 152. 1940; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 401. 1955 [‘1954’]; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 23: 50. 1968; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 246. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 127. 2000.

Description

Rhizome short, erect, bearing a few fronds in a tuft, densely covered with scales at apex; scales up to 5 mm long, dark brown, entire. Stipes nearly black, scaly at base, glabrescent above, up to 40 cm long. Laminae up to 60 cm long, bipinnate; lateral pinnae subopposite, 4–5 pairs, up to 30 cm or more long, bearing 5 or more basiscopic pinnules and sometimes with a few acroscopic lobes; costa with wings 5 mm throughout; lobes linear, caudately acuminate at apex, serrate at margin, up to 12 by 0.8 cm; lobed apical part of frond with widely spaced lobes connected by a broad wing of even width, the lowest ones to 15 cm long. Sori along margin of lobes.

Distribution in Thailand

SOUTH-WESTERN: Prachuap Khiri Khan; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi; PENINSULAR: Surat Thani, Songkhla, Yala.

Distribution in Cambodia

Kampot.

Wider Distribution

Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and W Java.

Ecology

Terrestrial in evergreen forests at low altitudes.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 2306, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Pa La U (A, BKF, E).

Voucher specimens - Cambodia

Bouillod 21, Kampot, Kamchay (P).