Family

Aspleniaceae

Nomenclature

Asplenium confusum Tardieu & Ching, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 5: 148, pl. 4, f. 3, pl. 7. 1936; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 240. 1940; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 88. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 289. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 139. 2000. – Type: Thorel s.n., Vietnam ("Cochinchine") (P).

Asplenium confusum var. angustipinnatum Ching & Tardieu, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 5: 150. 1936; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 241. 1940.

Asplenium laserpitiifolium auct. non Lam.: Christ, Bot. Tidsskr. 24: 107. 1901; C.Chr., Bot. Tidsskr. 32: 346. 1916; E.Smith, J. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl. 8: 4. 1929.

Description

Epiphytic. Rhizome short, ascending, densely scaly; scales narrow, gradually narrowing towards hair-pointed apex, 9–20 by 0.8 mm, entire, greyish to dark brown, crisped. Stipes 13.5–40 cm long, polished dark purple or nearly black, grooved above. Laminae elliptic to oblong-subtriangular, acuminate, 30–80 by 10–20 cm, tripinnate, 14–23 pairs of full-sized primary pinnae; rachis glabrous, grooved; lower pinnae 2–5 cm from the next ones, ascending, subtriangular, cuneate to subtruncate at base, gradually narrowing and bending up towards caudately acuminate apex, stalked, 10–16 by 3.5–6 cm; larger pinnules stalked, oblong-subtriangular, acute at apex, cuneate at base, pinnatifid to pinnate, up to 3 by 1.5 cm; ultimate segments (or secondary pinnules) spathulate, rounded and toothed at apex, cuneate and sessile at base, up to 10 by 5 mm, sometimes lobed to half-way, papyraceous to coriaceous; veins raised on both surfaces. Sori up to 7 mm long, usually nearly to midrib, close together but rarely confluent; indusia thin but firm, persistent .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Tak, Phitsanulok; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; EASTERN: Buri Ram; SOUTH-WESTERN: Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan; SOUTH-EASTERN: Prachin Buri, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi, Trat; PENINSULAR: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Phangnga.

Distribution in Laos

Salavan

Distribution in Cambodia

Kompong Speu, Siem Reap

Wider Distribution

Indochina.

Ecology

On mossy tree-trunks or often on root mass of Asplenium nidus in dense evergreen forests at low to medium altitudes.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Notes

More taxonomic work is required in this species .  We have placed Asplenium confusum var. angustipinnatum Ching & Tardieu in synonymy although we have been unable to find the type specimen. The characters used to distinguish it are very variable in the species .

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4795, Phetchaburi, Kaeng Krachan National Park (E); Middleton et al. 5117, Loei, Phu Suan Sai National Park (E); Hennipman 3684, Loei, Phu Krading (P).

Voucher specimens - Laos

Poilane 16137, Salavan, Pou Set (P).

Voucher specimens - Cambodia

Pierre s.n., Kompong Speu, Khnang Krepeu (P); Godefroy 663, Siem Reap, Angkor (P).