Family

Dennstaedtiaceae

Nomenclature

Microlepia hookeriana (Wall. ex Hook.) C.Presl, Epimel. Bot.: 95. 1851 [‘1849’]; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 62, f. 32. 1883; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 93. 1939; Ching, Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 2: 211, pl. 19, f. 1–5. 1959; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 24. 1961; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 71. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 113, f. 7.1 & 7.2. 1979; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 87. 2000. – Davallia hookeriana Wall. ex Hook., Sp. Fil. 1: 172, t. 47B. 1846. – Scyphularia hookeriana (Wall. ex Hook.) J.Sm., Hist. Fil.: 261. 1875; Tagawa, J. Jap. Bot. 26: 187. 1951.

Description

Rhizome long creeping, densely covered with setose bright brown hairs about 2 mm long, 3.5–5 mm diam. Stipes 2–5 cm apart, erect, 12–20 cm long, stramineous or darker, densely covered with hairs like those on rhizome but shorter, more or less grooved on the upper surface; lamina pinnate, gradually narrowing towards acuminate apex, narrowly oblong, up to 50 cm long, 15 cm wide; rachis like the upper parts of stipes, distinctly grooved on the upper surface and densely hairy throughout; lateral pinnae usually more than 25 in pairs, close except for a few lower ones which are somewhat shorter, remote and deflexed, all sessile, linear, slightly falcate, gradually narrowing towards acute apex, serrate at margin, broadly cuneate posteriorly and auricled anteriorly at base, the largest 12 cm long, 1.3 cm broad; terminal pinnae distinct, gradually narrowing upwards, up to 15 cm long; herbaceous, deep green, veins once forked, hairy on veins beneath and on both surfaces of costa. Sori terminal on veinlets, at margin of pinnae; indusia cup-shaped, less than 1 mm broad, 0.5 mm long, glabrous .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima; CENTRAL: Nakhon Nayok; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi; PENINSULAR: Phangnga, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Wider Distribution

E Himalaya and Upper Burma to S China, northern Vietnam, Taiwan and Ryukyus, southwards to Borneo, Sumatra and Java.

Ecology

On rather dry ground in shade or sandy ground along streams in tropical evergreen forest at 700–1200 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Notes

This species is distinct from other members of Microlepia in its pinnate fronds with shallowly incised subsessile pinnae whose bases are auricled acroscopically or sometimes basiscopically as well, in distinct apical pinnae, in parallel veins forked at least twice.

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 5085, Phitsanulok, Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park (E).