Family

Pteridaceae, subfamily Pteridoideae

Nomenclature

Pteris subquinata Wall. ex J.Agardh, Recens. Spec. Pter.: 21. 1839; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 80: 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 239, f. 18.3. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 131. 2000; Newman et al., Checkl. Vasc. Pl. Lao PDR: 31. 2007. – Pteris quadriaurita var. subquinata (Wall. ex J.Agardh) Bedd., Suppl. Ferns Brit. India: 23. 1892.

Pteris linearis var. fauriei (Hieron.) C.Chr. & Tardieu, Not. Syst. 6: 140. 1938, p.p., excl. type; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 159. 1940, p.p.

Description

Rhizome short, creeping or ascending, bearing a few close fronds, densely scaly at apex; scales linear, up to 7 by 0.7 mm, dark brown, entire, toothed at basal portion, firm. Stipes dark brown, scaly at base, stramineous and glabrescent upwards, 20–40 cm long, to 52 cm on fertile frond. Laminae ovate in outline, deeply bipinnatisect to bipinnate, up to 30 cm long and wide; rachis glabrescent, grooved on upper surface; lateral pinnae 1–4 pairs, opposite, oblong-lanceolate, more or less falcate, up to 20 by 6 cm, basal one or two pinnae bearing basal basiscopic pinnules just like upper lateral pinnae in size and form, terminal pinnae a little larger; pinnules linear-lanceolate, falcate, up to 30 by 7 mm in sterile and 5 mm in fertile ones, the base free or decurrent to the next ones with wings of costa less than 0.5 mm wide, firm, green; costa and costules glabrous beneath, veins once or twice forked, distinct on both surfaces. Sori continuous along margin of pinnules; indusia firm , light brown.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Mai.

Distribution in Laos

Unspecified.

Wider Distribution

Himalaya to Laos.

Ecology

On rather dry slopes at foot of limestone cliffs in light shade at 1300–1600 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Notes

Morton, in his Studies of Fern Types, makes a case for why a lectotype should be chosen from the two Wallich Cat. 104 specimens in the Hooker Herbarium and in the Herbarium of the East India Company but he did not go so far as to do this himself.

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4988, Chiang Mai, Doi Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary (E).