Family

Marattiaceae

Nomenclature

Christensenia aesculifolia (Blume) Maxon, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 18: 240. 1905; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 45, f. 4. 1955 [‘1954’]; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 23: 110. 1968; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 43. 1979; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 64. 2000. – Aspidium aesculifolium Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae.: 143. 1828. – Kaulfusia aesculifolia Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae. 260. 1828; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 462, f. 287. 1883.

Christensenia assamica (Griff.) Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 7: 202. 1958; Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 2: 65, pl. 3, f. 7–10. 1959.

Description

Rhizome short creeping, fleshy, bearing a few fronds at apex. Stipes green and fleshy, up to 60 cm long; laminae pedate with 3–5 leaflets; middle leaflets largest, elliptic, acute at apex, narrowly cuneate at base, up to 25 cm long, 8 cm broad, entire; the other lobes elliptic, smaller in size than the middle ones, sessile or very short stalked; costae and main lateral veins distinctly raised; veins copiously anastomosing, often with included free veinlets. Sori at vein junction, each consisting of a circular group of 10–20 sporangia joined together laterally, dehiscing inwards towards the central depression, in two or more irregular rows between the main veins.

Distribution in Thailand

PENINSULAR: Phangnga, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Wider Distribution

India (Assam) to Java, not recorded from Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam.

Ecology

On moist sandy slopes near streams in dense moist evergreen forest at about 800 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

Least Concern (LC). This species is widespread and not under any immediate known threat although has only rarely been recorded in Thailand.

Voucher specimens - Thailand