Family

Polypodiaceae

Nomenclature

Selliguea rhynchophylla (Hook.) Fraser-Jenk., Taxon. Revis. Indian Subcontinental Pteridophytes : 48. 2008. – Polypodium rhynchophyllum Hook., Icon. Pl.: t. 954. 1854; C.Chr., Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 26: 334. 1931. – Pleopeltis rhynchophylla (Hook.) T.Moore, Index Fil.: lxxviii. 1857; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 353, f. 198. 1883. – Phymatodes rhynchophylla (Hook.) Ching, Contr. Inst. Bot. Natl. Acad. Peiping 2: 69. 1933; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 471. 1941. – Crypsinus rhynchophyllus (Hook.) Copel., Gen. Fil.: 20. 1947; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 21. 1961; Tagawa, J. Jap. Bot. 38: 330. 1963; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 59. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 556, f. 56.3. 1989; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 268. 2000.

Description

Rhizome long creeping, about 1.2 mm diam., densely scaly throughout; scales ovate with long tails up to 5 by 1.2 mm, membranous, entire at margin, light brown. Fronds in two forms. Smaller sterile fronds on short stipes of 5–20 mm in length, oval or ovate-oblong, round to moderately acute at both the base and apex, 2–3.5 by about 1.5 cm. Larger soriferous fronds: stipes 1.5–5 cm long, scaly at base, glabrescent upwards; laminae lanceolate, cuneate at base, broadest at 1/5–1/4 way from the base, narrowing at the soriferous portion of upper 1/4–1/2, acute to round at apex, 5–14 by 1.2–2 cm, the soriferous portion less than 1 cm in breadth; main lateral veins obscure at 1.5 cm inside the margin, other veinlets hardly visible, anastomosing to form irregular areoles with included free veinlets; coriaceous, green, paler beneath, glabrous; cartilagenous margin notched, thick and dark brown or black. Sori one between adjacent main veins, a single row at each side of midrib, half-way or a little closer to midrib, round , up to 2.5 mm diam.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi.

Wider Distribution

N India, Burma, SW China, and Indochina.

Ecology

Not so rare in mossy forests. On mossy tree trunks, or rarely on mossy rocks in dense evergreen forests at high altitudes (1200–1700 m).

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 5099, Phitsanulok, Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park (E); Middleton et al. 5154, Loei, Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary (E).