Family

Davalliaceae

Nomenclature

Davallodes membranulosa (Hook.) Copel., Philipp. J. Sci. 34: 245. 1927; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 115, f. 14.3–14.5. 1939; Ching, Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 2: 282, pl. 21, f. 7–8. 1959; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 26. 1961; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 156. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 234. 2000. – Davallia membranulosa Wall ex Hook., Sp. Fil. 1: 159, t. 53A. 1846. – Leucostegia membranulosa (Hook.) J.Sm., Hist. Fil.: 84. 1875; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 50. 1883. – Araiostegia membranulosa (Hook.) Holttum ex T.Sen, U.Sen & Holttum, Kew Bull. 27: 230. 1972.

Description

Rhizome long creeping, up to 3 mm diam.; scales when young with round peltate basal portion and subulate and long-tailed apical portion, up to 8 mm long, 1.8 mm broad at base, bicoloured with narrow brown central portion and white edges, entire or sparsely and minutely toothed, the edges gradually fading with age, thus the old scales linear and brown. Stipes stramineous, densely hairy throughout, scaly at base, 5–12(–17) cm long. Laminae widest at base, tripinnatifid; rachis grooved on upper surface, winged on upper part; pinnae nearly opposite in lower part, alternate in upper part, asymmetrically oblong-subdeltoid, acuminate, broadly cuneate at base, sessile, upper ones gradually becoming smaller, more than 15 pairs; pinnule sessile, narrowly oblong, round at apex, broadly cuneate at base, deeply pinnatifid, up to 17 by 7 mm; costae winged throughout, densely hirsute; ultimate segments oblong, falcate, moderately acute at apex, lobed; each lobe including a veinlet, herbaceous, hairy, green. Sori at end of veinlet, one for each lobe, medial; indusia thin, round to moderately acute at apex, white, hirsute .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Tak.

Wider Distribution

Himalayas to Yunnan and Vietnam.

Ecology

Epiphytic on mossy tree trunks or on moist mossy limestone in dense evergreen forests at high altitudes (600–2000 m).

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4945, Chiang Mai, Doi Pha Ti Do (E); Middleton et al. 4999, Chiang Mai, Doi Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary (E).