Family

Tectariaceae

Nomenclature

Tectaria melanocaulis (Blume) Copel., Philipp. J. Sci., Sect. C, Botany 2: 416. 1907; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya, ed. 2, 2: 636. 1968; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 23: 176. 1968; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 367, f. 34.1. 1988; Holttum, Fl. Males., Ser. II, Pterid. 2: 66. 1991; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 215. 2000. – Aspidium melanocaulon Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae: 161. 1828. – Type: Blume s.n., Java (L accession number 908,302-125; K).

Description

Rhizome short, ascending, bearing close fronds, scaly at apex; scales stiff, gradually narrowing from base towards hair-pointed apex, more or less wavy in upper portion, deep purplish-brown with paler margin, up to 8 by 1 mm. Stipes about 50 cm long, dark purplish to nearly black, polished, densely pubescent. Laminae about 50 cm long and wide, deeply bipinnatisect; lateral pinnae subopposite, 3–5 pairs, upper ones stalked or subsessile, apical portion with lobed adnate pinnae, base rather suddenly cuneate, not decurrent to form wings on rachis; lobes oblique, oblong-subtriangular, acuminate at apex, up to 7 by 2 cm, wavy at margin; herbaceous to softly papyraceous, rachis and costa dark purplish, densely pubescent above; veins raised or distinct below, copiously anastomosing. Sori at apex of short included free veinlets, round, small, up to 0.7 mm diam., scattered irregularly on whole undersurface; indusia small, fugacious .

Distribution in Thailand

PENINSULAR: Yala.

Wider Distribution

Throughout Malesia from Sumatra to New Guinea.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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