24. Lepidomicrosorium Ching & K. H. Shing, Bot. Res. 1: 1. 1983. [Draft]

鳞果星蕨属  lin guo xing jue shu

Plants small to medium sized, terrestrial when young and then climbing on tree trunks or rock surfaces. Rhizome long creeping up to 1 m or up to 2–3 m, densely scaly; scales reddish brown, transparent, lanceolate, clathrate, margin sparsely denticulate, long acuminate. Fronds distant; stipe present or fronds subsessile; laminae variable in shape, lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, or polymorphic, fronds on lower part of rhizome like Hedera leaves, toward apex becoming linear-lanceolate, base from cordate to truncate and narrowly cuneate; lamina herbaceous to papery, glabrous except for small clathrate scales on adaxial side of midribs; midribs prominent, veinlets not clear, anastomosing, free included veinlets simple or forked; sori small, round, densely scattered; paraphyses uniseriate, 3–6-celled or in part peltate (especially in young sori).

About two species, distributed mainly in central and southwest China, also to N Vietnam and East Himalayan regions.

Lepidomicrosorium species are easily confused with Microsorum superficiale but the latter has no peltate paraphyses on the sorus even when young.

1a.   Frond normally under 10 cm, deltoid or lanceolate with deeply cordate or dilated base; texture thickly papery, venation obscure; rhizome with circumvascular sheaths in cortex ...................  1. L. buergerianum

1b.   Frond generally more than 20 cm, base cuneate or attenuate; texture herbaceous, venation distinct; rhizome with circumvascular sheaths only or with circumvascular sheaths and scattered strands of sclerenchyma in cortex ..................................................................................................  2. L. subhemionitideum

1. Lepidomicrosorium buergerianum (Miquel) Ching & K. H. Shing ex S. X. Xu in J. F. Cheng & G. F. Zhu, Fl. Jiangxi 1: 322. 1993.

鳞果星蕨  lin guo xin jue

Polypodium buergerianum Miquel, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 3: 170. 1867; Lepidomicrosorium asarifolium Ching & K. H. Shing; L. brevipes Ching & K. H. Shing; L. emeicola Ching & K. H. Shing; L. hederaceum (H. Christ) Ching; L. lanceolatum Ching & P. S. Wang; L. latibasis Ching & K. H. Shing; L. subhastatum (Baker) Ching; L. subsessile Ching & K. H. Shing L. suijiangense Ching & W. M. Chu; L. yiliangense Ching & K. H. Shing; Leptochilus buergerianus Bosman; Microsorum buergerianum Ching; M. buergerianum f. laciniatum Ching; M. buergerianum var. ohwianum (Tagawa) Tagawa; M. ohwianum Tagawa; M. subhastatum (Baker) Ching; M. subhastatum var. longifrons (Takeda) Ching; Neolepisorus microsoroides W. M. Chu; Polypodium buergerianum var. stipitatum Takeda, nom. illegit. superfl.; P. hederaceum H. Christ; P. subhastatum Baker; P. subhastatum var. hederaceum (H. Christ) Takeda; P. subhastatum var. longifrons Takeda; P. superficiale var. chinense Rosenstock.

Rhizome long creeping and climbing, 1.5–2.5 mm in diam.; scales brown or dark brown, lanceolate, 1.5–4.5 Χ 0.5–1 mm, margin denticulate. Fronds distant, subsessile or with stipe up to 9 cm and stramineous; fronds polymorphic: fronds on ground or lower part of rhizome like leaves of Hedera, base cordate and auriculate, or truncate, or cuneate; fronds on upper parts of rhizome lanceolate, base rounded or decurrent; lamina 10–20 cm, 1.5–5 cm wide at lower part, texture thickly papery, green, venation obscure, beneath with small scales on midribs; midribs prominent on both surfaces; sori superficial, round or in part elongate, occasionally in part confluent, 1–1.5 mm in diam., or[??] 2–2.5 mm long, scattered on adaxial surface of fertile leaves; paraphyses uniseriate, (3 or)4- or 5-celled or in part peltate (especially in young sori).

In forests, terrestrial, climbing on rocks or tree trunks; 400–2000 m. Chongqing, Gansu, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan (Cheju Islands), N Vietnam].

Microsorum superficiale (Beddome) Ching, pro parte[??]

2. Lepidomicrosorium subhemionitideum (H. Christ) P. S. Wang in P. S. Wang & X. Y. Wang, Pterid. Fl. Guizhou 382. 2001.

果星蕨  dian lin guo xing jue

Polypodium subhemionitideum H. Christ, Bull. Herb. Boissier 7: 5. 1899; Lepidomicrosorium caudifrons Ching & W. M. Chu L. crenatum Ching & K. H. Shing; L. emeiense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. hongchunpingense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. hongchunpingense var. laceratum Ching & K. H. Shing; L. hunanense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. laojunense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. lineare Ching & K. H. Shing; L. longshengense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. undulatum Ching & P. S. Chiu; Leptochilus subhemionitideus (H. Christ) Bosman; Microsorum jinfoshanense Ching & Z. Y. Liu; M. rubripes Ching & W. M. Chu; Neocheiropteris sapaensis V. N. Tu; Polypodium hymenodes var. marginale Takeda; P. superficiale var. attenuatum Rosenstock.

But Polypodium hymenodes Kunze, Linnaea 23: 279/319. 1850,  the basionym, is also synonym under M. membranaceum – this seems to be based on incorrect lectotypification of this name with Henry 9265B which was collected decades later & can’t be lectotype, Kunze indicates “Ind. Or. [peren.] c. H.V. Houtt. 1848 H.Lipps. 1849.”

Rhizome long creeping and climbing, 1–4 mm. in diam.; scales brown, lanceolate, 1.5–5 Χ 0.5–1.5 mm, margin denticulate; fronds distant; stipe reddish brown or pale brown, up to 10 cm; lamina linear-lanceolate, 25–40 cm, 2.5–5 cm wide at middle part, base cuneate or narrowly cuneate and decurrent, margin entire or undulate, apex acuminate to caudate; texture herbaceous, venation distinct, dark green, abaxially with few small scales on midribs; midribs prominent on both surfaces; sori superficial, round or oblong, sometimes in part confluent, 1–2 mm in diam., or[??] ca. 2.5 mm long, scattered on adaxial surface of fertile leaves; paraphyses uniseriate, (4 or)5 or 6-celled or in part peltate (especially in young sori).

In dense forests, climbing on rocks or tree trunks; 700–2000 m. Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Vietnam].

There has been confusion between Lepidomicrosorium subhemionitideum and Polypodium hymenodes Kunze due to an unacceptable lectotypification of Kunze’s name with the collection A. Henry 9265B, the type collection of Polypodium subhemionitideum, which was not collected until much later than Kunze’s publication. Polypodium hymenodes is here included within Microsorum membranaceum (D. Don) Ching.

25. DRYMOTAENIUM Makino, Bot, Mag. (Tokyo) 15: 102. 1901.

丝带蕨属  si dai jue shu

Plants epiphytic, small. Rhizomes short and decumbent, covered with lanceolate denticulate black scales. Fronds clustered; stipe articulate; lamina narrowly linear, similar to “vittaria” shape, firm, leathery, glabrous. Veins obscure, anastomosing, 1 or 2 rows of areolae on both sides of main vein and with a few included veinlets. Sori linear, continuous, located in a longitudinal groove on each side of main vein, close to main vein, covered with peltate paraphyses. Annuli consisting of 14(–16) thickened cells. Spores bilateral, elliptic, transparent and smooth.

One species (endemic).

1. Drymotaenium miyoshianum (Makino) Makino, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 15: 102[??109]. 1901.

丝带蕨  si dai jue

Taenitis miyoshiana Makino, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 12: 26. 1898; Drymotaenium nakaii Hayata; Lepisorus miyoshianus (Makino) Fraser-Jenkins & Subh. Chandra.

The characters are the same as the genus.

* On tree trunks in forest understories. Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

26. LEMMAPHYLLUM C. Presl, Epimel. Bot. 157. 1851. 

伏石蕨属  fu shi jue shu

Plants small, epiphytic. Rhizomes slender and creeping, covered with scales; scales ovate-lanceolate, entire or irregularly branched on lower part. Fronds sparse, dimorphic; stipe articulate; sterile fronds obovate or elliptic, entire, subfleshy, glabrous or subglabrous or sparsely covered with scales; fertile fronds linear or linear-oblanceolate. Veins reticulate, main vein obscure, free included veinlets usually toward main vein. Sori linear, parallel with main vein, contiguous, but normally apices of fronds sterile; paraphymas[??spelling] peltate, clathrate, denticulate at margin; annuluses[??spelling] of sporangia consisting of ca. 14 incrassate cells. Spores elliptic, monolete, transparent or subtransparent, in perispore. x = 12(36).

About six species [??where]; two species in China (one endemic).

Type species: Lemmaphyllum spathulatum C. Presl, original locality in Philippines (Luzon).

1a.   Sterile fronds suborbicular or ovate-rounded, 1.6–3.5 Χ 1.2–1. 5 cm, nearly sessile or with stipes ca. 4 mm      1. L. microphyllum

1b.   Sterile fronds narrowly elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, 4–12 Χ 2.5–4 cm; stipes normally 1.5–5 cm  2. L. carnosum

1. Lemmaphyllum microphyllum C. Presl, Epimel. Bot. 236. 1851.

伏石蕨  fu shi jue

Ferns small, epiphytic. Rhizomes slender and creeping, pale green, with sparse scales; scales clathrate, apices subulate, subrounded at lower parts, irregularly branched on both sides. Fronds remote, dimorphic; sterile fronds subsessile or with stipe 2–4 mm; lamina suborbicular or ovate-lanceolate, 1.6–2.5 Χ 1.2–1.5 cm, base rounded or broadly cuneate, entire; fertile fronds with stipe 3–8 mm; lamina regular or narrowly lanceolate, 3.5–6 Χ ca. 0.4 cm, margins recurved when dried. Veins reticulate, with simple included veinlets. Sori linear, located between main vein and margin, covered with paraphymas when young.

On trees trunks in forests or rocks of forest understories; 100–1500 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hubei, Jiangsu, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, S Korea, Vietnam].

1a. Sterile frond suborbicular or ovate-rounded, base rounded or broadly cuneate, subsessile ..  1a. var. microphyllum

1b. Sterile frond ovate or obovate to narrowly rounded, base shortly cuneate and decurrent, with longer stipe .............................................................................................................  1b. var. obovatum

1a. Lemmaphyllum microphyllum var. microphyllum

伏石蕨(变种)  fu shi jue (yuan bian zhong)

Sterile fronds suborbicular or ovate-rounded, bases rounded or broadly cuneate, subsessile.

On tree trunks in forests or on rocks of forest understories; 100–1500 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hubei, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, S Korea, Vietnam].

1b. Lemmaphyllum microphyllum var. obovatum (Harrington) C. Christensen, Dansk Bot. Ark. 6: 47. 1929.

倒卵伏石蕨  dao luan fu shi jue

Drymoglossum carnosum J. Smith ex Hooker var. obovatum Harrington, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 16: 33. 1877[??1878].

Sterile fronds ovate or obovate to narrowly rounded, bases shortly cuneate and decurrent, stipes longer.

· On tree trunks. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan.

2. Lemmaphyllum carnosum (Wallich ex Hooker) C. Presl, Epimel. Bot. 158. 1851.

质伏石蕨  rou zhi fu shi jue

[??basionym]; Drymoglossum carnosum (Wallich [ex Hooker]) J. Smith, Gen. Fil. [Hooker] t. 78 A. 1841.

Plant much taller than previous species. Sterile fronds broadly lanceolate, broadest at middle parts of lamina, ca. 10 Χ 2.5–3.8 cm, attenuate to both ends , base cuneate and decurrent, obtuse at apex; stipe 1.5–5 cm. Fertile fronds 12–15 Χ ca. 0.4 cm.; stipes up to 8 cm.

· On tree trunks or rocks under forest; 1500–2900 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan.

27. Lepidogrammitis Ching, Sunyatsenia 5: 258. 1940.

骨牌蕨属  gu pai jue shu

Plants small, epiphytic. Rhizomes long creeping, thick as iron wire, pale green, with sparse clathrate scales or subglabrous. Fronds remote, fleshy, dimorphic or subdimorphic; stipes short or fronds subsessile; sterile fronds lanceolate to rounded, abaxial surface with sparse scales; fertile fronds narrowly lanceolate to shortly ligulate, after dried hard leathery, pale green. Venation reticulate, not obvious, usually with simple or forked included veinlets. Sori rounded, free, in one row along each side of main vein, covered with peltate paraphymas[??okay] when young, paraphymas clathrate denticulate at margin. Spores monolete, bilateral, experispore[??okay], exine thicker, outline undulate or serrate, irregularly foveolate by strait[??] observed. x = 13(36).

About eight species, one to N India and Myanmar; seven species in China (five endemic).

Type species: Lepidogrmmitis drymoglosssoides (Baker) Ching.

Included within Lemmaphyllum by Li Wang et al.

1a.   Fronds monomorphic or sometimes dimorphic.

2a.   Fronds monomorpic; lamina elliptic, apex obtuse, ca. 5 cm; stipe usually slender, short  1. L. rostrata

2b.   Fronds sometimes dimorphic; sterile fronds ligulate-lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate or sublinear            2. L. diversa

1b.   Fronds obviously dimorphic.

3a.   Sterile fronds subpyriform or narrowly ovate, bases rounded or rounded-cuneate  3. L. pyriformis

3b.   Sterile fronds orbicular, oblong, or oblong-lanceolate, bases cuneate.

4a.   Sterile fronds usually orbicular or obovate; fertile fronds ligulate or oblanceolate  4. L. drymoglossoides

4b.   Sterile fronds narrowly rounded or oblong-lanceolate; fertile fronds linear-lanceolate, linear, or loriform.

5a.   Sterile fronds oblong; fertile fronds linear-lanceolate................................. 5. L. intermedia

5b.   Sterile fronds oblong-lanceolate; fertile fronds linear or loriform.

6a.   Sterile fronds oblong-lanceolate or elliptic; fertile fronds subloriform; sori attached near margin and protruded outside of margin at maturity .................................................  6. L. adnascens

6b.   Sterile fronds ovate-lanceolate or broadly ovate-lanceolate; sori attached at middle parts of lamina and protruded outside of margin at maturity .............................................  7. L. elongata

1. Lepidogrammitis rostrata (Beddome) Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 9: 372. 1964.

骨牌蕨  gu pai jue

Pleopeltis rostrata Beddome, Ferns Brit. India t. 159. 1867; Lemmaphyllum rostratum (Beddome) Tagawa; Lepidogrammitis subrostrata Ching; Polypodium subrostratum C. Christensen.

Plants ca. 10 cm. tall. Rhizomes long creeping, thick, ca. 1 mm. in diam., green, covered with scales; scales subulate-lanceolate, denticulate at margin. Fronds remote, monomorphic; sterile fronds lanceolate or elliptic, 6–10 Χ 2–2.5 cm, fleshy, when dried leathery, pale brown, subglabrous on both surfaces, base cuneate and decurrent, entire, apex obtuse. Both sides of costae raised, veinlets slightly visible, with simple or forked included veinlets. Sori rounded, located usually above broadest parts of lamina, in one row on each side of main vein, covered with peltate paraphymas when young.

On tree trunks or rocks of forest understories; 200–1700 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Indo-China peninsula[??countries], Myanmar].

2. Lepidogrammitis diversa (Rosenstock) Ching, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 1: 24. 1979.

针骨牌蕨  pi zhen gu pai jue

Polypodium diversum Rosenstock, Hedwigia 56: 346. 1915; Lemmaphyllum diversum (Rosenstock) Tagawa; Lemmaphyllum diversum (Rosenstock) De Vol & C. M. Cuo [??]; Lepidogrammitis christensenii Ching; L. christensenii (Ching) Ching; L. diversa (Rosenstock) Ching; L. kansuensis Ching; L. rostrata De Vol & Kou, [??not (Beddome) Ching (1964)].

Plants ca. 10 cm tall. Rhizomes slender and creeping, densely covered with scales; scales brown, subulate-lanceolate, margin serrate. Fronds remote, monomorphic or subdimorphic; stipe variable, straw-colored, 0.5–3 cm, smooth; sterile fronds not very different from fertile fronds, stipe 0.5–1.2 cm, lamina normally narrowly lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 3.5–8 Χ 0.5–0.8 cm, apex acute; fertile fronds much variable in outline, stipe 1.2–2 cm, lamina usually straplike-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 6–9 Χ 0.3–2.8 cm, when dried subleathery, brown, smooth, apex shortly acute; both sides of costa raised, veinlets not obvious. Sori rounded, in one row on each side of main vein, slightly near main vein.

· On rocks by forest margins or understories of thickets beside streams; 700–1200 m. Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Zhejiang.

The whole plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine for inflammation, to eliminate wetness and stopping bleeding, for arthralgia due to “wind wetness evil,” and bleeding due to surgery, trauma, etc.

3. Lepidogrammitis pyriformis (Ching) Ching, Sunyatsenia 5: 258. 1940.

梨叶骨牌蕨  li ye gu pai jue

Polypodium pyriforme Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 2: 212. 1930[??1931]; Lemmaphyllum pyriforme (Ching) Ching.

Plants ca. 5 cm tall. Rhizomes long creeping, thick, ca. 1.5 mm in diam., covered with subulate-lanceolate, denticulate brown scales. Fronds remote, dimorphic; sterile fronds nearly sessile, pyriform to narrowly ovate, 3–5 Χ 1.5–2 cm, base subrounded or rounded-cuneate and decurrent, entire or slightly undulate, apex shortly acuminate; fertile fronds longer and narrower, sublanceolate, fleshy, when dried leathery, with sparse scales on abaxial surface, smooth on adaxial surface. Main vein obvious, veinlets not obvious. Sori rounded, in one row on each side of main vein and slightly close to main vein.

On rocks of forest understories; ca. 1900 m. Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan [Japan].

The type specimen is from Hubei (Badong). 

4. Lepidogrammitis drymoglossoides (Baker) Ching, Sunyatsenia 5: 258. 1940.

树莲  bao shu lian

Polypodium drymoglossoides Baker, J. Bot. 25: 170[??171]. 1887; Lemmaphyllum drymoglossoides (Baker) Ching.

Rhizomes slender and creeping, covered with subulate-lanceolate, denticulate, brown scales. Fronds remote, dimorphic; sterile fronds elongate to ovate, 1–2 cm or slightly longer, base cuneate, subsessile, entire, apex rounded or obtuse-rounded; fertile fronds ligulate or oblanceolate, 3–6 cm, less than 1 cm wide, base attenuate, subsessile or shortly stipitate; sometimes same shape as sterile ones, fleshy, when dried leathery, with sparse scales on abaxial surface, smooth on adaxial surface. Sori rounded, in one row on each side of main vein, located between main vein and margin.

· On shaded wet tree trunks or rocks; 200–1400 m. Widely distributed in provinces of Changjiang Valley: Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Shanxi.

The type specimen is from Hubei.

The whole plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine to cool the blood, to remove toxic materials, and to treat scrofula, etc.

5. Lepidogrammitis intermedia Ching, Fl. Tsinling 2: 231. 1974.

间骨牌蕨  zhong jian gu pai jue

Lemmaphyllum intermedium (Ching) Li Wang.

Plants 3–7(–10) cm tall. Rhizomes slender and creeping, with sparse subulate-lanceolate, denticulate brown scales. Fronds remote, dimorphic; sterile fronds elongate to lanceolate, 3–6 Χ 0.8–2 cm, attenuate to both ends , base cuneate and decurrent, entire, obtuse or rounded-obtuse at apex, stipe ca. 2 mm; fertile fronds narrowly lanceolate or linear-lanceolate , 4.8–8 Χ ca. 0.5 cm, after dried subleathery, with sparse scales on abaxial surface, obtuse at apex. Main vein obviously raised on both sides, veinlets obscure. Sori rounded, in one row on each side of main vein, sori sometimes convergent when mature, but protruding outside margin of frond.

· On rocks of forest understories; 800–1200 m. Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

The type specimen is from Sichuan (Baoxin).

6. Lepidogrammitis adnascens (Ching) Ching, Sunyatsenia 5: 258. 1940.

贴生骨牌蕨  tie sheng gu pai jue

Lemmaphyllum adnascens Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. Bot. 4: 101. 1933.

Rhizomes long creeping, thick, ca. 1 mm in diam., covered with subulate-lanceolate, denticulate brown scales. Fronds remote, 3–4 cm apart, dimorphic. Sterile fronds narrowly lanceolate to elliptic, stipe 1–15 cm, lamina 4–10 Χ 1–1.5 cm, fleshy, grayish green on adaxial surface, with sparse scales on abaxial surface, slightly recurved when dried, base cuneate and decurrent, apex rounded-obtuse; fertile fronds much longer, strongly attenuate, linear, 8–16 Χ ca. 0.5 cm, obtuse at apex, stipe 2–3 cm. Main vein raised on both sides, veinlets obscure. Sori large, elliptic, ones on lower parts up to 3–4 mm, ones on upper parts shorter, dense, not convergent and spreading to end of lamina, located between main vein and margin and close to margin, protruding outside of lamina at maturity.

* Sichuan (Guanxian).

7. Lepidogrammitis elongata Ching, Fl. Tsinling. 2: 232. 1974.

长叶骨牌蕨  chang ye gu pai jue

not mentioned by Li Wang et al.

Plants ca. 10 cm tall. Rhizomes slender and creeping, covered with subulate-lanceolate, denticulate brown scales. Fronds remote, dimorphic; sterile fronds with stipe ca. 2 mm, lamina usually broadly lanceolate, 6–8 Χ 1.5–2. 5 cm, apex shortly hebetate[??], pale brown, with sparse scales on abaxial surface; fertile fronds narrowly lanceolate, stipe 0.5–4 cm, 5–11 mm wide at middle, brown, when dried pale brown, hard leathery, apex shortly hebetate. Main vein raised on both sides, veinlets obscure. Sori rounded, in one row on each side of main vein, some convergent at maturity, but protruding outside of margin of lamina.

· On rocks of forest understories; 1300–2200 m. Guizhou, Hubei, Shanxi, Sichuan.

The type specimen is from Guizhou (Qinzhen).

28. Caobangia A. R. Smith & X. C. Zhang, Novon 12: 546. 2002.

高平蕨属  gao ping jue shu

Zhang Xian-Chun (张宪春); A. R. Smith

Rhizomes long-creeping, filiform, sparingly branched, approximately terete, dorsiventral with two rows of dorsal fronds, rather sparsely set with roots, not ant-inhabited, densely scaly; scales dark red-brown, lacking hairs at bases (non-comose), acicular and nearly entire from peltately attached, clathrate, dentate bases. Fronds shortly stipitate to nearly sessile; stipe lacking obvious articulation lines or swellings at bases, with scales similar to those of lamina; lamina herbaceous to papery, monomorphic to slightly dimorphic in size and shape (sterile seemingly often shorter and more rounded at base, but equaling fertile in width), narrowly elliptic (fertile) to ovate (sterile), dark green-brown when dried, stellate hairs lacking, densely scaly on both sides with persistent red-brown, hairlike scales; scales with peltate, clathrate, laciniate-margined bases and very long, uniformly red-brown, non-clathrate dentate to laciniate tips. Venation: midribs distinct, sclerenchymatous (darkened, but hidden by red-brown scales), main lateral veins indistinct or distinct only in basal 1/5 or less in cleared fronds, 10–13 per side, anastomosing and forming irregular areoles (one row of large areoles adjacent to midrib, 0–2 additional rows of smaller areoles toward margins, areoles with occasional free veinlets, these simple (not forked), almost always recurrent, immersed, not or only faintly visible adaxially, hydathodes lacking. Sori in single rows within larger areoles, midway between midrib and each margin, round, not confluent, ± obscured by acicular scales especially when sporangia are immature. Sporangia stalked, lacking paraphyses, with 16–19 indurate annulus cells, mixed with acicular scales; spores monolete, whitish, papillate to rugose.

Caobangia is a monotypic genus, closely related to Lepidogrammitis Ching; Caobangia was included within Lemmaphyllum by Li Wang et al. (Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 162: 36. 2010).

1. Caobangia squamata A. R. Smith & X. C. Zhang, Novon 12: 549. 2002.

高平蕨  gao ping jue

Lemmaphyllum squamatum (A. R. Smith & X. C. Zhang) Li Wang (2010), [not L. squamosum C. Christensen (1929)].

Rhizomes 1–1.5 mm diam., 2–5 cm between stipe bases, densely covered with many ascending and outwardly curved, overlapping scales; scales dark red-brown, acicular from a clathrate, laciniate, peltate base, 5–8 Χ 0.4–0.8 mm, scale tips uniseriate for 1–2 mm. Fronds up to 7.5 Χ 1.8 cm; stipe mostly 1–20 mm, with scales similar to those of lamina; lamina entire, monomorphic or slightly dimorphic in size and shape. Sterile lamina 1–4 Χ 1–1.5 cm; fertile lamina 4–8 Χ 1–1.8 cm, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate, base cuneate, apex rounded; sterile fronds broadly elliptic to broadly oblong, acute at base, rounded at tip, ca. 1/2 length of fertile fronds or less, densely covered (but some laminar tissue visible between overlapping scales) on both sides with persistent, hairlike scales, these red-brown, mostly 5–10 mm, acicular from peltate, clathrate, dentate-margined bases; acicular tips uniformly red-brown and non-clathrate, with up to ca. 10 teeth per side; teeth up to 0.3 mm, scales extending up to 5 mm beyond lamina margins, curved and ascending to spreading. Sori in single rows midway between midrib and each margin, round, up to ca. 10 on each side of midrib, up to 2 mm in diam., obscured by acicular scales.

On limestone ridges, rare, epipetric on slightly shaded limestone rocks; ca. 800 m. Guangxi [N Vietnam].

31. PHYMATOSORUS Pichi Sermolli, Webbia 28: 457. 1973.

瘤蕨属  liu jue shu

[##]; H. Nooteboom

Phymatodes C. Presl, Tent. Pterid. 195. 1836 (nom. illegit.); Phymatodes sect. Euphymatodes Ching, Contr. Inst. Bot. Nat. Acad. Peiping 2(3): 56. 1933.

Plants epiphytic or terrestrial. Rhizome long-creeping, fleshy, scaly; scales brown, dark brown, or nearly black, orbicular, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, usually thin, peltate, distinctly clathrate. Fronds remote, articulate to rhizome at base. Stipe usually straw-colored, scaly at base, glabrous upward. Lamina deeply pinnatipartite or pinnate, rarely simple, lobes broadly lanceolate, herbaceous or leathery, both surfaces glabrous, margin entire; apex acuminate or obtuse; veins anastomosing to form areoles with simple or forked included veinlets. Sori round or oblong, in one row on each side of midrib or irregularly scattered on either side of midrib, superficial or immersed on abaxial surface and raised on adaxial surface, without paraphyses. Spores yellow, ellipsoidal, surface shallowly and coarsely rugose. [??x] n = 36, 37; 2n = 72, 74.

About 13 species: Old World tropics, neophytes in tropical America; six species in China (one endemic).

1a.   Lamina pinnate, rachis terete except sometimes for narrowly winged apical portion; pinnae mostly with distinct stalks ...............................................................................................................  1. P. cuspidatus

1b.   Lamina simple or pinnatipartite to pinnatisect and bases of lateral lobes merging into broadly winged rachis.

2a.   Lamina simple, ovate; stipe slender (ca. 1 mm in diam.) .......................................  2. P. lanceus

2b.   Lamina pinnatipartite or pinnatisect.

3a.   Lamina with lateral lobes (10–)20–30(–40) pairs ......................................  3. P. longissimus

3b.   Lamina with lateral lobes usually 3–10 pairs.

4a.   Texture papery, dark green; veins distinct on both surfaces ..............  4. P. membranifolius

4b.   Texture leathery, yellowish green; veins obscure on both surfaces.

5a.   Rhizome 3–5 mm in diam.; scales ovate-lanceolate with apex acuminate, margin toothed; sori in one row or in two irregular rows on each side of costa ............................  5. P. scolopendria

5b.   Rhizome 6–10 mm in diam.; scales rounded, margin entire; sori in one row on each side of midrib                                                                                                             6. P. hainanensis

1. Phymatosorus cuspidatus (D. Don) Pichi Sermolli in A. Lφve & D. Lφve, Cytotax. Atl. Pterid. 83. 1977 [Webbia 31: 249. 1977].

光亮瘤蕨  guang liang liu jue

Polypodium cuspidatum D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 2. 1825 [not C. Presl. (1825)]; Microsorium cuspidatum (D. Don) Tagawa; M. lucidum (Roxburgh) Copeland; Phymatodes cuspidata (D. Don) J. Smith; P. lucida (Roxburgh) Ching; Phymatosorus lucidus (Roxburgh) Pichi Sermolli; Polypodium lucidum Roxburgh (1844), [not Richard (1792)].

Rhizome pale green, 10–20 mm in diam., sparsely scaly; scales dark brown at center, paler toward margin, circular, peltate, clathrate, entire. Stipe straw colored, 30–50 cm, glabrous except for scaly base. Lamina imparipinnate, 30–50 Χ 20–25 cm; rachis terete; lateral pinnae 8–15 pairs, ± ascending, linear-lanceolate, 15–20(–25) Χ 2–3.5 cm, herbaceous or leathery, both surfaces glabrous; base cuneate with 5–10 mm stalk, margin entire, apex acuminate to attenuate; midrib raised on both surfaces, straw-colored; veinlets obscure. Sori round, in one row on each side of costa, medial, nearly superficial. Spore surface with minute spheres.

Epiphytic on dry rocks or on tree trunks; 200–1600 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].

2. Phymatosorus lanceus (Ching & C. H. Wang) S. G. Lu, Guihaia 19(1): 28. 1999.

矛叶瘤蕨  mao ye liu jue

Phymatodes lancea Ching & C. H. Wang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 8: 153[??170]. 1959.

Rhizome dark brown, 5–8 mm diam., sparsely scaly; scales ovate, 2–2.5 mm, peltate, clathrate, base cordate, apex obtuse. Stipe brown, 4.5–7 cm, ca. 1 mm in diam.. Lamina simple, oblong, 10–12 Χ 2–2.2 cm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous, base broadly cuneate, margin entire, apex obtuse; midrib raised on both surfaces, lateral veins slender and obscure, veinlets obscure. Sori round, in one row on each side of midrib, abaxially immersed and adaxially raised.

* Epiphytic on tree trunks. Hainan.

3. Phymatosorus longissimus (Blume) Pichi Sermolli, Webbia 28: 459. 1973.

多羽瘤蕨  duo yu liu jue

Polypodium longissimum Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 127. 1828; Colysis longissima (Blume) J. Smith; Microsorium rubidum (Kunze) Copeland; Phymatodes longissima (Blume) J. Smith; Phymatosorus suisha-stagnalis (Hayata) Pichi Sermolli; Pleopeltis longissima (Blume) T. Moore; Polypodium rubidum Kunze; P. suisha-stagnale Hayata.

Rhizome 8–10 mm in diam., sparsely scaly; scales ovate-lanceolate, ca. 3 mm, peltate, clathrate, base rounded, margin irregularly toothed, apex acuminate. Stipe straw-colored, 35–100 cm, up to 10 mm in diam. near base, glabrous, upper portion winged. Lamina pinnatifid or pinnatisect at lower portion, oblong in outline, 40–100(–130) Χ 25–30(–50) cm; lateral lobes (10–)20–30(–40) pairs, ascending, linear-lanceolate, usually 8–12 Χ 1–2.5 cm, herbaceous or leathery, both surfaces glabrous, base slightly narrowed and decurrent to rachis, margin entire or crisped, apex acuminate or obtuse; lateral veins and veinlets obscure, areoles with included veinlets. Sori round to ellipsoidal, in one row on each side of midrib, slightly nearer to midrib, abaxially immersed and adaxially raised.

In rather wet places at low elevations. Hainan, Hongkong, Taiwan, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Polynesia].

4. Phymatosorus membranifolius (R. Brown) S. G. Lu, Guihaia 19(1): 27. 1999.

显脉瘤蕨  xian mai liu jue

Polypodium membranifolium R. Brown, Prodr.: 147. 1810; Microsorum membranifolium (R. Brown) Ching; M. nigrescens (Blume) Copeland; Phymatodes nigrescens (Blume) J. Smith; P. nigrescens var. variabilis (Ching) C. Christensen & Tardieu; P. variabilis Ching; Phymatosorus nigrescens (Blume) Pichi-Sermolli; P. variabilis (Ching) Pichi-Sermolli; Pleopeltis nigrescens (Blume) Carriθre[??Carruth.]; Polypodium nigrescens Blume.

Rhizome 10–15 mm in diam., scaly; scales brown, circular or oblong, peltate, thin, margin irregularly toothed, apex rounded. Stipe straw-colored, 30–40(–50) cm, ca. 5 mm in diam., glabrous. Lamina usually pinnatifid, rarely pinnately ternate, dark green, 50–80 Χ 30–40 cm, or simple, 15–25 Χ 4–5 cm; lateral lobes usually (2 or)3–10(–12) pairs, ascending, broadly lanceolate, 15–20 Χ 3–4 cm, papery, both surfaces glabrous, base somewhat narrowed, margin subentire, apex caudate-acuminate; veins all distinct, areoles with forked included veinlets. Sori round, ca. 4 mm in diam., in one row on each side of midrib, medial, abaxially distinctly hollow and adaxially distinctly raised.

Terrestrial or on rocks in tropical rain forests; 200–1200 m. Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Polynesia].

Beddome (Ferns S. Ind. pl. 176. 1864) named material of Phymatosorus membranifolius as Pleopeltis longissima (Blume) T. Moore.

5. Phymatosorus scolopendria (N. L. Burman) Pichi Sermolli, Webbia 28: 460. 1973.

瘤蕨  liu jue

Polypodium scolopendria N. L. Burman, Fl. Ind.: 232. 1768; Chrysopteris phymatodes (Linnaeus) Link; Drynaria phymatodes (Linnaeus) Fιe; D. vulgaris (C. Presl) J. Smith; Microsorum scolopendria (N. L. Burman) Copeland; Phymatodes phymatodes (Linnaeus) Maxon, nom. illegit.; P. scolopendria (Burman) Ching; P. vulgaris C. Presl; Pleopeltis phymatodes (Linnaeus) T. Moore; Polypodium phymatodes Linnaeus.

Rhizome 3–5 mm in diam., sparsely scaly; scales dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, peltate, clathrate, margin toothed, apex long acuminate. Stipe straw-colored or light chestnut, usually 20–30 cm, glabrous. Lamina usually pinnatifid, 35–45 Χ 30–35 cm, rarely simple or pinnately 3-lobed, rachis with wings about as wide as lobes; lateral lobes usually 3–5 pairs, lanceolate, 12–20 Χ 2–3 cm, leathery, both surfaces glabrous, margin entire, apex acuminate; midrib raised on both surfaces, veins indistinct, areoles with many included veinlets ending in raised point. Sori round, in one row or two irregular rows on each side of midrib, abaxially deeply hollowed and adaxially distinctly raised. Spore surface minutely echinate.

On rocks or on tree trunks at low elevations. Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan [India, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; Africa, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Polynesia].

6. Phymatosorus hainanensis (Nooteboom) S. G. Lu, Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Taichung 11: 147. 1998.

阔鳞瘤蕨  kuo lin liu jue

Microsorum hainanense Nooteboom, Blumea 42: 325. 1997.

Rhizome 6–10 mm in diam., sparsely to densely scaly; scales dark brown, circular, ca. 4 Χ 4 mm, peltate, clathrate, margin irregularly obscurely toothed. Stipe straw-colored, 20–30 cm, glabrous. Lamina pinnatifid, 30–40 Χ 15–20 cm, or 3-lobed, base broadly cuneate, rachis with wings about as wide as lobes; lateral lobes usually 2–5 pairs, lanceolate, 10–15 Χ 2–3 cm, leathery, abaxially with very sparse and very small black scales, adaxially glabrous, margin entire, apex acute or obtuse; midrib raised on both surfaces, without lateral veins, areoles with included veinlets. Sori round, large, in one row on either side of costa, slightly nearer to midrib, abaxially sunken and adaxially raised.

Forests, on tree trunks or rocks; sea level up to 900 m. Hainan [India, Vietnam].

32. MICROSORUM Link, Hort. Berol. 2: 110. 1833.

星蕨属  xing jue shu

Plants medium sized, mainly epiphytic or epipetric, rarely terrestrial. Rhizome thick, fleshy, white waxy or not, creeping, with peltate or pseudopeltate clathrate or subclathrate scales. Fronds dimorphic or not, simple or pinnatifid; lamina leathery or herbaceous, veinlets anastomosing, free included veinlets forked, hydathode; sori scattered and sometimes forming 2–8 irregular rows between veins, often some connate, elongate on veinlets, without scalelike paraphyses. Spores verrucate or irregularly rugate.

About 40 species: mainly in tropical Asia, few to Africa; nine species in China (one endemic).

1a.   Fronds normally pinnate or forked, sometimes simple.

2a.   Fronds normally pinnate, occasionally trilobate or simple; stipes and midribs abaxially not scaly; spores covered with abundant globules ..........................................................................  8. M. insigne

2b.   Fronds normally trilobate or simple; stipes and midribs abaxially scaly; spores covered with abundant globules and irregular spines ............................................................................  9. M. pteropus

1b.   Fronds simple, entire, lanceolate.

2a.   Rhizome slender; fronds far apart.

3a.   Scales appressed, ovate-deltoid, acuminate at apex .......................................  3. M. fortunei

3b.   Scales spreading; broadly lanceolate, gradually narrowing toward apex.

4a.   Sori small, scattered on abaxial surface of fronds; veins obscure ............  1. M. superficiale

4b.   Sori large, 2 or 3 regular rows along main vein, close to main vein;
veins visible ..........................................................................................  2. M. reticulatum

2b.   Rhizome thick; fronds clustered.

5a.   Lateral veins prominent, raised prominently, almost from main veins to margin.

6a.   Fronds thinly herbaceous; stipe with edges, cross section nearly triangular; scales on rhizomes slightly spreading, ovate to triangular; sori small, scattered or irregularly confluent  4. M. membranaceum

6b.   Fronds papery; stipe cylindric; scales on rhizomes prominently spreading, lanceolate; sori large, in 2 regular rows between adjacent main veins ....................................................  5. M. zippelii

5b.   Lateral veins obscure.

7a.   Fronds linear-lanceolate, gradually narrowed toward apex; scales on rhizome appressed or slightly spreading, broadly ovate, ca. 3 mm, broad at base, round, acuminate at apex; apical cell of paraphyses not enlarged ..........................................................................................  6. M. punctatum

7b.   Fronds oblanceolate, acuminate at apex; scales on rhizome prominently spreading, lanceolate, 3–4 mm, gradually narrowed toward apex; apical cell of paraphyses often large and curved  7. M. steerei

1. Microsorum superficiale (Blume) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 299. 1933.

表面星蕨  biao mian xing jue

Colysis superficialis (Blume) J. Smith; Lepidomicrosorium angustifolium Ching & K. H. Shing; L. asarifolium Ching & K. H. Shing; L. brevipes Ching & K. H. Shing; L. caudifrons Ching & W. M. Chu ex Ching & K. H. Shing; L. crenatum Ching & K. H. Shing; L. emeicola Ching & K. H. Shing; L. emeiense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. hederaceum Ching & K. H. Shing; L. hongchungpingense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. huanense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. laojunense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. latibasis Ching & K. H. Shing; L. lineare Ching & K. H. Shing; L. longshengense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. microsoriodes Ching & K. H. Shing; L. nanchuanense Ching & Z. Y. Liu; L. sichuanense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. subhastatum (Baker) Ching & K. H. Shing; L. subsessile Ching & K. H. Shing; L. suijiangense Ching & W. M. Chu; L. undulatum Ching & P. S. Chiu ex Ching & K. H. Shing; L. yiliangense Ching & K. H. Shing; L. hongchunpingense Ching & K. H. Shing var. laceratum Ching & K. H. Shing; Leptochilus buergerianus (Miquel) Bosman; L. subhemionitideus (H. Christ) Bosman; Microsorum brachylepis (Baker) Nakaike; M. buergerianum (Miquel) Ching; M. buergerianum f. laciniatum Ching; M. hymenodes Ching var. marginale Ching; M. jinfoshanense Ching & Z. Y. Liu; M. masaskei H. Itτ; M. ohwianum Tagawa; M. ovalifolium Ching & S. K. Wu; M. rubripes Ching & Z. Y. Liu; M. simulans Ching & Z. Y. Liu; M. subhastatum (Baker) Ching; M. superficiale (Blume) Ching var. semilinearis C. B. Clarke; M. takhtajanii V. N. Tu; M. tibeticum Ching & S. K. Wu; Neocheiropteris ningpoensis (Baker) Bosman; N. subhastata (Baker) Tagawa; N. superficialis (Blume) Bosman; Neolepisorus microsorioides W. M. Chu; Phymatodes masaskei Nakai; Pleopeltis superficialis (Blume) Beddome; P. superficialis Beddome; P. superficialis var. latifrons Beddome; Polypodium brachylepis Baker; P. buergerianum Miquel; P. buergerianum var. ningpoense (Baker) Takeda; P. buergerianum var. stipitatum Takeda; P. chinense Mettenius; P. hederaceum H. Christ; P. hymenodes Kunze var. marginale Takeda; P. masaskei (Nakai) Ogata; P. nigrocinctum H. Christ; P. ningpoense Baker; P. subhastatum Baker; P. subhastatum var. hederaceum (H. Christ) Takeda; P. subhastatum var. longifrons Takeda; P. subhemionitideus H. Christ; P. superficiale var. anguinum H. Christ; P. superficiale var. attenuatum Rosenstock; P. superficiale var. chinense Rosenstock.

Rhizome 1–5 mm in diam., dorso-ventrally flattened, not white waxy, bearing scales and hairs. Scales pseudopeltate, appressed or distinctly spreading or slightly spreading, ovate or narrowly ovate or triangular, 1–6.5 Χ 0.5–2.5 mm, margin entire or denticulate or dentate (sometimes with small triangular lobes), apex acute or rounded, clathrate, subclathrate, or clathrate except for hyaline marginal region, cells longitudinally rectangular, central region bearing multiseptate hairs at least when young or central region glabrous. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic. Lamina herbaceous to subleathery, simple, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate to narrowly deltoid to linear, 3–40(–60) Χ 0.5–6 cm, base truncate-angustate to narrowly angustate, margin entire to sinuate to undulate, apex acute to acuminate. Sori separate, not in one or two rows between each pair of veins and not in one row parallel to costa, sometimes forming 2–8 irregular rows between veins or in two (irregular) rows between each pair of veins (occasionally in part confluent), round (or in part slightly elongate), superficial or slightly immersed.

Epiphytic or epilithic; 200–2000 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra), Japan, Laos, Malay Peninsula, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam].

2. Microsorum reticulatum Ching ex L. Shi, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 37: 100. 1999.

网脉星蕨  wang mai xing jue

Rhizome long creeping and clambering, 2–3 mm in diam., densely scaly. Scales pseudopeltate, clathrate, yellow-brown, broadly lanceolate, 3–4 Χ 0.5–1 mm, margin dentate. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, 3–6 cm apart; stipe stramineous, 3–10 cm, scaly at base. Lamina broadly lanceolate to elliptic, 15–35 Χ 4–7 cm, papery, base cuneate, margin entire, apex acute or caudate. Venation clear. Sori in 2 or 3 rows, parallel to costa.

· Epiphytic in lowland forests. Yunnan.

Microsorum reticulatum is similar to M. superficiale (Blume) Ching, but the laminae are very broad, and the venation very clear.

3. Microsorum fortunei (T. Moore) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 304. 1933.

江南星蕨  jiang nan xing jue

Drynaria fortunei T. Moore, Gard. Chron. 708. 1855; Lepisorus fortunii (T. Moore) C. M. Kuo; L. undulatus Ching & Z. Y. Liu; Microsorum chinense (Mettenius ex Kuhn) Fraser-Jenkins; M. excelsum Ching & S. K. Wu; M. henryi (H. Christ) C. M. Kuo; M. takedai (Nakai) H. Itτ; Phymatodes takedai Nakai; Polypodium austrosinicum H. Christ ex C. Christensen; P. chinense Mettenius ex Kuhn; P. henryi H. Christ; P. normale D. Don var. polysorum Baker.

Rhizome 2–5 mm in diam., not white waxy. Scales pseudopeltate, appressed, ovate or triangular, 2.5–5 Χ 1.5–2 mm, margin entire or denticulate (basal margin often eroded), apex acute (but often broken), clathrate or subclathrate (but hyaline margin at base), cells longitudinally rectangular (toward apex), central region glabrous. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, herbaceous. Lamina simple, narrowly elliptic to linear, 24–90 Χ 2–6 cm, base narrowly angustate, margin undulate, apex acute or acuminate; stipe present, 0.5–22 cm, 1.5–3.8 mm in diam. Veins ± immersed and instinct. Sori separate, in one (irregular) row parallel to costa, round, superficial or slightly immersed.

Epilithic or epiphytic often beside streams in forests; 300–1800 m. Anhui, Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Malay Peninsula, Myanmar, Vietnam].

4. Microsorum membranaceum (D. Don) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 309. 1933.

膜叶星蕨  mo ye xing jue

Polypodium membranaceum D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 2. 1825; P. hymenodes Kunze; P. membranaceum var. grandifolium (Wallich ex H. Christ) Alderwerelt; P. transparens C. Presl ex Ettingshausen.

Rhizome creeping, thick, 3–10 mm in diam., dorso-ventrally flattened or nearly cylindrical, not white waxy. Scales pseudopeltate, ovate or triangular, 1.5–9 Χ 1–3 mm, margin entire, apex acute, clathrate except for hyaline marginal region, central region bearing multiseptate hairs at least when young. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, membranous. Lamina simple, ovate to elliptic or narrowly so to linear, (5–)25–110 Χ (1–)5–15 cm, base narrowly angustate, stipe winged for a considerable part, margin entire, apex acuminate; stipe up to 15 cm, 3–5 mm diam. Veins prominent and distinct. Sori separate, not in one or two rows between each pair of veins and not in one row parallel to costa, sometimes forming 2–8 irregular rows between veins or some connate, elongate on veinlets, round or elongate, superficial or slightly immersed.

Epilithic, rarely epiphytic or terrestrial in evergreen or deciduous broad-leaved (sub)tropical forests, often in valleys or ravines; 800–2600 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].

The fronds of Microsorum membranaceum are shed seasonally.

5. Microsorum zippelii (Blume) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 308. 1933.

脉星蕨  xian mai xing jue

Polypodium zippelii Blume, Fl. Javae. Filic.: 172. 1829; Microsorum luzonicum (Copeland) Tagawa; Neocheiropteris zippelii (Blume) Bosman; Polypodium luzonicum Copeland (1906), not C. Presl (1825); P. oxyphyllum Kunze.

Rhizome shortly creeping, cylindrical, thick, 4–5 mm in diam., not white waxy. Scales 4–6 Χ 1–2 mm, margin denticulate to dentate, apex acute, clathrate or subclathrate, central region glabrous. Phyllopodia ± distinct, ca. 10 mm or more apart. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, herbaceous (to firmly herbaceous); stipe 0.8–8 cm, 0.8–3.2 mm in diam.; lamina simple, narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, 40–65 Χ 6–8 cm, base narrowly angustate, stipe winged for a considerable part, margin entire, apex acuminate, abaxial surface without acicular hairs; veins prominent and distinct, 4–13 mm apart, ± straight or zigzag, dichotomously branched near margin, connecting veins 3–7 between adjacent secondary veins, catadromous, smaller veins ± immersed and indistinct, or prominent and distinct, variously anastomosing, free veinlets simple to once or twice forked. Sori 5 or 6, separate, in two (irregular) rows between each pair of veins (occasionally in part confluent), round, superficial or slightly immersed, on whole surface of lamina, predominantly on connective veins, absent in marginal areoles, generally present in costal areoles; paraphyses simple uniseriate hairs with glandular top cells.

Epiphytic, or epilithic on sandstone or limestone in dense wet, forests. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan [India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand].

6. Microsorum punctatum (Linnaeus) Copeland, Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 16: 111. 1929.

星蕨  xing jue

Acrostichum punctatum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl., ed. 2: 1524. 1763; Phymatodes lingulata C. Presl; Pleopeltis punctata (Linnaeus) Beddome; Polypodium lingulatum Swartz; P. punctatum (Linnaeus) Swartz.

Rhizome shortly creeping, nearly cylindrical, thick, 4–8 mm in diam., white waxy beneath scales. Scales pseudopeltate (sometimes peltate), appressed or slightly spreading, ovate or narrowly ovate or triangular, 1.5–8 Χ 0.5–3 mm, margin entire to denticulate to dentate, apex acute, clathrate or subclathrate, cells small, ± isodiametric or cells longitudinally rectangular, central region bearing multiseptate hairs at least when young or central region glabrous. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, herbaceous to subleathery (sometimes leathery). Lamina simple, narrowly obovate or narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic to linear, 10–175[??] Χ 1.5–15 cm, base narrowly angustate, stipe winged for a considerable part to cuneate-angustate or truncate to obtuse to cordate, auriculate, margin entire or undulate, apex acute to acuminate to rounded; stipe present or absent and lamina decurrent to its base. Veins ± immersed and indistinct, or prominent and distinct. Sori separate, not in one or two rows between each pair of veins and not in one row parallel to costa, sometimes forming 2–8 irregular rows between veins or some connate, elongate on veinlets, round or elongate, superficial or slightly immersed, on whole surface of lamina or absent from basal parts, mostly irregularly scattered on smallest veinlets.

Epiphytic, but also epilithic or terrestrial in various types of forests, sometimes in savanna but also in wet places. Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Palaeotropics and subtropics].

7. Microsorum steerei (Harrington) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 306. 1933.

广叶星蕨  guang ye xing jue

Polypodium steerei Harrington, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 16: 32. 1877, [‘1878’]; P. aspidistrifrons Hayata; P. playfairii Baker; P. tonkinense Baker.

Rhizome nearly cylindrical, 3–5 mm in diam., (often) white waxy beneath scales. Scales pseudopeltate, apically densely set, otherwise sparsely set, distinctly spreading, narrowly ovate or triangular, 2.5–4–8[??] Χ 0.5–1.5 mm, margin denticulate, clathrate or subclathrate, central region glabrous. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, subleathery. Lamina simple, narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate to linear, 10–40 Χ 1.5–5 cm, index[??] 6–17, base narrowly angustate, stipe winged for a considerable part, margin entire, apex acuminate; stipe up to 7 cm, 0.5–1.5 mm in diam. Veins ± immersed and indistinct, or immersed and distinct. Sori separate, not in one or two rows between each pair of veins and not in one row parallel to costa, sometimes forming 2–8 irregular rows between veins, round, superficial or slightly immersed.

On limestone rocks in lowland forests. Guangxi, Guizhou, Taiwan [Vietnam].

8. Microsorum insigne (Blume) Copeland, Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 16: 112. 1929.

羽裂星蕨  yu lie xing jue

Polypodium insigne Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 127. 1828; Colysis dilatata (Beddome) J. Smith; C. insigne (Blume) J. Smith; Kaulinia dilatata (Beddome[??Wallich ex Hooker]) B. K. Nayar & Kaur; K. hancockii (Baker) B. K. Nayar; Microsorum dilatatum (Beddome) Sledge; M. dilatatum f. dilatatum Ching; M. dilatatum f. simplex (Ching) Ching; M. hancockii (Baker) Ching; M. hancockii f. simplex Ching; Pleopeltis dilatata Beddome; P. insignis (Blume) Beddome; Polypodium anceps (H. Christ) C. Christensen; P. dilatatum Wallich ex Hooker; P. europhyllum C. Christensen; P. hancockii Baker; Selliguea anceps H. Christ.

Rhizome 2–11 mm in diam., dorso-ventrally flattened or nearly cylindrical, not white waxy. Scales pseudopeltate, apically densely set, otherwise sparsely set, appressed or distinctly spreading, ovate or narrowly ovate or triangular, (2–)2.5–7.5 Χ 0.5–2.5(–3) mm, margin entire to denticulate (occasionally with small triangular lobes), clathrate or subclathrate, central region glabrous. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, thinly herbaceous; lamina simple or pinnatifid, simple lamina narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, 2.5–65 Χ 0.5–6.5 cm, base narrowly angustate, stipe winged for a considerable part, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate; stipe 0–10 cm, terete or carinate, lamina decurrent to its base. Lamina of dissected frond 8–110 Χ 3–55 cm, widest below middle to near middle, 0.5–5 cm wide between lobes at place of longest lobes, lobes 1–12(–14) on each side, longest lobes widest at base to widest about middle; apical lobe similar to upper lateral lobes or shorter to longer than upper lateral lobes. Veins prominent and distinct, smaller veins ± immersed and indistinct, variously anastomosing, free veinlets simple or once forked. Sori separate, not in one or two rows between each pair of veins and not in one row parallel to costa, sometimes forming 2–8 irregular rows between veins or some connate, elongate on veinlets, round or elongate, superficial or slightly immersed.

Usually epilithic, sometimes epiphytic, in primary and secondary forests, in or along streams or waterfalls, in undergrowth of shrubs, twice reported from caves, shaded, mossy, muddy, and wet places; 600–800 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malay Peninsula, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam].

Sometimes the laminae of Microsorum insigne are simple, not lobed; the stipes are terete to carinate but there are no other corresponding morphology and distribution patterns supporting the separation of these plants as two species.

9. Microsorum pteropus (Blume) Copeland, Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 16: 112. 1929.

有翅星蕨  you chi xing jue

Polypodium pteropus Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 125, add. 3. 1828; Colysis pteropus (Blume) Bosman; Kaulinia pteropus (Blume) B. K. Nayar; K. pteropus var. minor (Beddome) B. K. Nayar & S. Kaur; K. zosteriformis (Mettenius) B. K. Nayar & S. Kaur; Microsorum brassii Copeland; M. paucijugum (Alderwerelt) K. Iwatsuki & M. Kato; M. pteropus f. minor (Beddome) Ching; M. pteropus var. minor (Beddome) C. Christensen & Tardieu; M. pteropus var. zosteriformis (Beddome) S. Kaur & Subh. Chandra; M. zosteriforme Ching; Pleopeltis pteropus T. Moore; P. pteropus var. minor Beddome; P. zosteriformis Beddome; Polypodium aquaticum H. Christ; P. paucijugum Alderwerelt; P. pteropus var. minor (Beddome) Y. C. Wu, K. Wong & Pong; P. raapii Alderwerelt; P. tridactylon Wallich ex Hooker & Greville; P. udum H. Christ; P. zosteriforme Wallich ex Mettenius.

Rhizome 0.5–5 mm in diam., dorso-ventrally flattened, not white waxy. Scales pseudopeltate, narrowly ovate or triangular, 1.5–5 Χ 0.4–1 mm, margin entire, apex acute, clathrate or subclathrate, central region bearing multiseptate hairs at least when young. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, thinly herbaceous to membranous; stipe present, up to 12 cm, 1–2 mm in diam.; lamina simple, forked, trifid or pinnatifid, narrowly elliptic, 3.5–30 Χ 0.2–5.5 cm, abaxial surface often densely covered with clavate hairs, base narrowly angustate and winged on stipe for a considerable part, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate; veins prominent and distinct, 3–7 mm apart, ± straight or zigzag, dichotomously branched near margin to about middle, connecting veins 1–6 between adjacent secondary veins, anadromous, smaller veins ± immersed and indistinct, or prominent and distinct, each main areole usually including a number of smaller areoles, smaller veins variously anastomosing, free veinlets simple or once or twice forked. Sori separate, not in one or two rows between each pair of veins and not in one row parallel to costa, sometimes forming 2–8 irregular rows between veins, round (in part elongate), superficial or slightly immersed, irregularly scattered, absent in marginal areoles, generally absent from costal areoles; paraphyses simple, uniseriate hairs with glandular top cells.

Along or in streams, often under water in rainy season; 400–1200 m. Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

Microsorum pteropus sometimes has the sori more or less in one row between the veins. The venation consists of large areoles extending nearly to the margin on both sides of the costa.

33. Colysis C. Presl, Epim. Bot. 146. 1851.

线蕨属  xian jue shu

Plants epilithic, terrestrial, or epiphytic, sometimes low climbing, small to medium-sized, with long creeping rhizome; scales pseudopeltate or peltate, dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, clathrate, entire or slightly toothed. Fronds remote, articulate, monomorphic or dimorphic; lamina simple, entire, palmately lobed, digitate, pinnatifid, or pinnate with pinnae adnate to rachis, (thinly) herbaceous to subleathery; veins anastomosing, secondary veins prominent, almost reaching margin; usually two, sometimes more rows of areoles between adjacent secondary veins, with ex- or recurrent free veins; fertile fronds usually similar to sterile ones or sometimes smaller and (much) contracted. Sori usually between adjacent secondary veins, rounded or elongate to linear, sporangia rarely acrostichoid; spores hyaline to light brown, ellipsoidal, aperture 1/4–3/4 of spore length; surface shallowly tuberculate, usually plane with abundant spherical deposits, sometimes with short echinate elements. [??x] n =36, 2n = 72, 108, 144, 216.

About 20 “indistinct” species: Asia; ten species in China (three endemic).

Most species have linear sori on tertiary veins parallel to secondary veins, or round to elongate sori in Colysis hemionitidea (Wallich ex Mettenius) C. Presl. The delimitation between Colysis and Leptochilus is not obvious and the two genera have been merged together by Nooteboom.

1b.   Fronds pinnatifid or digitately lobed.

9a.   Fronds normally pinnate or pinnatifid .................................................................  9. C. elliptica

9b.   Fronds digitately lobed or sometimes 2- or 3-forked ........................................  10. C. digitata

1a.   Fronds simple, entire or ± irregularly laciniate.

2b.   Fronds hastate, laciniate-lobed at lower part above decurrent base.

8a.   Fronds broadly deltoid-lanceolate or hastate, frequently with 1 or 2 pairs of lanceolate, horizontally spreading lobes, or sometimes regularly lobed-laciniate with 5 or 6 linear-lanceolate lobes on each side, papery or herbaceous, surface glabrous, abaxial surface with sparse scales when young .........              7. C. hemitoma

8b.   Fronds deltoid-lanceolate, with 1–3 pairs of irregularly laciniate lobes, papery, glabrous on each side    8. C. Χshintenensis

2a.   Fronds entire and slightly undulate.

3a.   Sori round to elongate, interrupted.

4a.   Fertile fronds monomorphic; stipes 1–4 cm .........................................  1. C. hemionitidea

4b.   Fertile fronds dimorphic; stipes 4–10 cm ...............................................  2. C. diversifolia

3b.   Sori linear, continuous.

5a.   Leaves dimorphic ................................................................................  3. C. pedunculata

5b.   Leaves monomorphic.

6a.   Lamina abaxial surface with small scales and scale-shaped soral paraphyses  4. C. wrightii

6b.   Lamina abaxial surface without small scales and scale-shaped soral paraphyses.

7a.  Fronds elliptical or ovate-lanceolate; lamina normally rather abruptly narrowed below middle, thick in context[??], venation indistinct .............................................................  5. C. henryi

7b.  Fronds narrowly linear; lamina gradually decurrent nearly to base, herbaceous, venation distinct  6. C. leveillei

1. Colysis hemionitidea (Wallich ex Mettenius) C. Presl, Epimel. Bot. 147. 1851.

线蕨  duan xian jue

Polypodium hemionitideum Wallich ex Mettenius, Farngatt. 112. 1856; Colysis hemionitidea C. Presl; Drynaria hemionitidea J. Smith; Leptochilus hemionitideus (Wallich ex Mettenius) Nooteboom; Microsorum ensato-sessilifrons (Hayata) H. Itτ; M. hemionitideum Copeland; Pleopeltis hemionitidea T. Moore; Polypodium ensato-sessilifrons Hayata; Selliguea hemionitidea C. Presl.

Rhizome 2–4 mm in diam., dorso-ventrally flattened; scales pseudopeltate, narrowly ovate or triangular, 2–4 Χ 0.7–1.2 mm, margin denticulate, clathrate or subclathrate, central region bearing multiseptate hairs at least when young or glabrous. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, thinly herbaceous. Lamina simple, narrowly ovate to narrowly obovate, 28–60 Χ 3–8.5 cm, abaxial surface without acicular hairs, base narrowly angustate, stipe winged for a considerable part, margin entire, apex acute or acuminate. Veins prominent and distinct, (6–)7.6–14 mm apart, ± straight, dichotomously branched near margin, connecting veins 4–7 between adjacent veins, anadromous, smaller veins prominent and distinct, free veinlets simple or once forked, number of secondary order areoles between two veins generally 2–4. Sori separate, one row of sori in one line close together between each pair of veins (often 2 or 3 connate), round or elongate, superficial or slightly immersed, absent from basal parts for 0.3–0.5 of total length of lamina, 1–4(–7) per veinlet.

Terrestrial on stones in streams, in dry evergreen forests, on wet ground in stream beds in dense forests, locally common; 700–2000 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Japan, Nepal, Thailand].

2. Colysis diversifolia W. M. Chu, Acta Bot. Yunnan. 2: 93. 1979.

异叶线蕨  yi ye xian jue

Colysis Χ beddomei Manickam & Irudayaraj.

Rhizome long creeping, reddish brown, densely scaly. Scales reddish brown, peltate, ovate-lanceolate, base subrounded, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acuminate. Fronds distant, monomorphic to dimorphic, sometimes fertile fronds also dimorphic; stipe 4–10 cm, narrowly winged; lamina broadly lanceolate to oblanceolate, 30–50 Χ 3–7 cm, base long decurrent to base of stipes, apex acuminate; lateral veins prominent, veinlets forming 3 or 4 large areoles between two adjacent lateral veins, free included veinlets simple or forked; lamina papery, glabrous. Sori round or oblong to linear, separate, definitely connate, 1 regular row between two lateral veins.

· 800–1200 m. SE Yunnan.

The fertile fronds of Colysis diversifolia are of two kinds, sometimes like those of C. hemionitidea, and sometimes narrowed like those of Leptochilus decurrens. The plants might represent a hybrid between them.

3. Colysis pedunculata (Hooker & Greville) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 321. 1933.

线蕨  chang bing xian jue

Ceterach pedunculatum Hooker & Greville, Icon. Filic. T. 5. 1827; Colysis intermedia Ching & Chu H. Wang; C. saxicola H. G. Zhou & Hua Li; C. wui Ching; Grammitis membranacea Blume; Leptochilus macrophyllus (Blume) Nooteboom var. pedunculatus (Hooker & Greville) Nooteboom; Polypodium bonii H. Christ; P. fluviatile Lauterbach; P. wui C. Christensen.

Rhizome slender, creeping, densely scaly, roots many. Scales brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–3.8 Χ 0.2–1 mm, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acuminate. Fronds subdimorphic, distant, herbaceous, glabrous; stipe stramineous, 5–35 cm; lamina oblong or ovate-lanceolate, 15–25 Χ 2–7 cm, abruptly narrowed at base and into narrow wings along stipe, margin entire or slightly undulate, apex acuminate or obtuse. [Lamina ??base] laterally oblique, veinlets forming 2 rows of areoles between two adjacent lateral veins, free included veinlets 1- or 2-forked. Sori linear, ranging from midvein to margin of lamina, 1 row between lateral veins.

On rocks in forests or terrestrial. Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam].

4. Colysis wrightii (Hooker & Baker) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 324. 1933.

褐叶线蕨  he ye xian jue

Gymnogramma wrightii Hooker & Baker, Sp. Fil. 5: 160. 1864, [‘Gymnogramme’]; Colysis hokouensis Ching; C. longifrons Tagawa; C. megalolepis Tagawa; C. subsessilifolia Ching; C. wrightii f. laciniata Sa. Kurata; Leptochilus macrophyllus (Blume) Nooteboom var. wrightii (Hooker & Baker) Nooteboom.

Rhizome long creeping, densely scaly. Scales brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–6.2 Χ 0.2–1.2 mm, margin denticulate, apex acuminate. Fronds distant; stipe short, 1–3 cm, or fronds subsessile; lamina oblanceolate, 20–25 cm, 2–4.5 cm wide at middle, base decurrent into wings along stipe, margin shallowly undulate, apex acuminate to caudate. Lamina herbaceous, dark brown, adaxial side of midvein bearing small scales; veinlets forming 2 rows of areoles between two adjacent lateral veins, free included veinlets simple or forked. Sori linear, 1 row between two adjacent lateral veins, from midvein up to margin of lamina.

In shaded forests, terrestrial or epiphytic; 100–1000 m. Fujian, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan [Japan, Vietnam].

5. Colysis henryi (Baker) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 325. 1933.

圆线蕨  ju yuan xian jue

Gymnogramma henryi Baker, J. Bot. 25: 171. 1887; Colysis lioui Ching, [‘liouiii’]; Polypodium henryi (Baker) C. Christensen; Selliguea henryi H. Christ [Bull. Herb. Boissier 6: 879. 1898].

Rhizome slender, long creeping; scales brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.7–5 Χ 0.2–2.1 mm, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acuminate. Fronds monomorphic, or subdimorphic, distant, herbaceous, glabrous; stipe stramineous, 5–35 cm; lamina oval or ovate-lanceolate, 15–50 Χ 3–11 cm, abruptly narrowed downward into narrow wings along stipe, margin entire or slightly undulate, apex acuminate or obtuse; veinlets forming 2 rows of areoles between two adjacent lateral veins, free included veinlets simple or 1- or 2-forked. Sori linear, one regular row between lateral veins, up to margin of lamina.

· In shaded forests; 600–1300 m. Chongqing, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

6. Colysis leveillei (H. Christ) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 323. 1933.

绿线蕨  lu ye xian jue

Selliguea leveillei H. Christ, Bull. Acad. Int. Gιogr. Bot. 236. 1906; Colysis leveillei f. angusta (C. Christensen) Ching; C. leveillei f. major (C. Christensen) Ching; Leptochilus macrophyllus [??] var. wrightii (Hooker & Baker) Nooteboom, p.p.; . Polypodium leveillei C. Christensen.

Rhizome slender, long creeping; scales brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–4.4 Χ 0.3–1 mm, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acuminate. Fronds monomorphic or slightly dimorphic, distant, herbaceous, glabrous; stipe stramineous, 4–8 cm; lamina linear or linear-lanceolate, 20–40 cm, 0.8–4 cm wide at middle, narrowed down from middle to base, margin slightly undulate, apex long acuminate or caudate; veinlets forming 2 rows of areoles between two adjacent lateral veins, free included veinlets simple or forked. Sori linear, one regular row between lateral veins, up to margin of lamina.

· In wet forests; 400–1300 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou.

Colysis leveillei is very similar to C. wrightii but without paraphyses.

7. Colysis hemitoma (Hance) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 326. 1933.

胄叶线蕨  zhou ye xian jue

Polypodium hemitomum Hance, J. Bot. 21: 269. 1883; Colysis hemitoma f. integra Ching ex S. H. Fu; Leptochilus Χ hemitomus (Hance) Nooteboom, p.p.; P. cavalerieri Rosenstock.

Rhizome slender, long creeping; scales dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1–4.6 Χ 0.2–1 mm, margin denticulate, apex long acuminate. Fronds monomorphic or slightly dimorphic, distant, herbaceous, glabrous; stipe pale brown, 5–30 cm; laminae simple to irregularly lobed, ovate, broadly deltoid-lanceolate, or sagittate, 10–25 cm, 3–15 cm wide at base, base truncate, or with one pair of long spreading basal lobes, or irregularly pinnatifid lobed into 2–6 lobes, apex long acuminate; lobes linear-lanceolate, 3–10 Χ 0.6–1.8 cm, margin undulate; veinlets forming 2 rows of areoles between two adjacent lateral veins, free included veinlets simple or forked. Sori linear, one regular row between lateral veins, up to margin of lamina, sometimes interrupted covered by peltate paraphyses when young.

In valley forests. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang [Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam].

Nooteboom (1997, 1998[??page citation]) regarded Colysis hemitoma as a hybrid between C. macrophyllus and C. elliptica. [Polypodium (Selliguea) sp. n. C. Chr. ex Y. C. Wu; -- ??what is this]

8. Colysis Χ shintenensis (Hayata) H. Itτ, J. Jap. Bot. 11: 90. 1935.

新店线蕨  xin dian xian jue

Polypodium shintenense Hayata, Icon. Pl. Formosan. 8: 154. 1919; Colysis elliptica (Thunberg) Ching var. pothifolia (Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don) Ching f. simplex Ching; C. simplicifrons (H. Christ) Tagawa; C. wrightii (Hooker) Ching var. lacerata Nakai; Leptochilus Χ hemitomus (Hance) Nooteboom, p.p.

Rhizome slender, long creeping, 3–5 mm in diam.; scales dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1–4.6 Χ 0.2–1 mm, margin denticulate, apex long acuminate. Fronds monomorphic, distant, herbaceous, glabrous; stipe stramineous, 15–40 cm; lamina deltoid-lanceolate, 25–50 Χ 3–5 cm, base attenuate, margin entire or undulate, or with 1–3 pairs lobes; lobes linear or linear-lanceolate, 3–10 Χ 0.6–1.8 cm; veinlets forming 2 rows of areoles between two adjacent lateral veins, free included veinlets simple or forked. Sori linear, one regular row between lateral veins, up to margin of lamina.

On rocks in dense wet forests. Taiwan [Japan].

9. Colysis elliptica (Thunberg) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 333. 1933.

线蕨  xian jue

Rhizome slender, long creeping; scales dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–7.6 Χ 0.6–2.3 mm, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acuminate. Fronds subdimorphic, distant, herbaceous, glabrous; stipe stramineous, 6.5–48 cm; lamina deeply pinnatifid, oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 20–70 Χ 8–22 cm; lobes 3–11 pairs, linear or linear-lanceolate, 4.5–15 Χ 0.3–2.2 cm, base narrowly cuneate and decurrent, forming narrow (up to 6 mm wide) wings on rachis, entire or slightly undulate, apex long acuminate; fertile fronds with longer stipes than sterile ones, pinnae or lobes narrow; lamina papery, dark brown, glabrous; sori linear, one regular row between lateral veins.

[??distribution]

1a. Fronds pinnatifid to a broad wing on each side of rachis, margin distinctly undulate-repand .  9c. var. flexiloba

1b. Fronds pinnatifid to not or slightly winged on each side of rachis, margin entire or sometimes indistinctly slightly undulate.

2a. Pinnae 5–9 pairs.

3a.... Plant 30–50 cm, fronds subdimorphic, papery, veins and veinlets indistinct, largest lobe 7–12 Χ 0.9–1.6 cm, rhizome 2.5–4.5 mm wide ............................................  9a. var. elliptica

3b.... Plant 60–100 cm, fronds monomorphic, herbaceous, veins and veinlets distinct, largest lobe 15–24 Χ 1.7–2.8 cm, rhizome 5–10 mm wide ..................................  9b. var. pothifolia

2b.   Pinnae 2–5 pairs.

4a.... Frond subleathery, lamina 17–30 cm, less than 12 cm wide, largest lobe 5–8 Χ 1.4–2.2 cm ..........................................................................................................  9d. var. longipes

4b.... Frond herbaceous, lamina 40–70Χ12–22 cm, largest lobe 11–18 Χ 2.2–3.7 cm  9e. var. pentaphylla

9a. Colysis elliptica var. elliptica

线蕨(原变种)  xian jue (yuan bian zhong)

Polypodium ellipticum Thunberg, Syst. Veg., ed. 14 (J. A. Murray) 935. 1784; Colysis boisii (H. Christ) Ching; C. morsei Ching; Leptochilus ellipticus (Thunberg) Nooteboom; P. ellipticum f. brevis  Y. C. Wu; P. ellipticum var. typica Makino & Matsuda, [nom. invalid]; Selliguea coraiensis H. Christ.

Rhizome slender, long creeping; scales dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–7.6 Χ 0.6–2.3 mm, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acuminate. Fronds subdimorphic, distant, herbaceous, glabrous; stipe stramineous, 6.5–48 cm; lamina deeply pinnatifid, oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 20–70 Χ 8–22 cm; lobes 3–11 pairs, linear or linear-lanceolate, 4.5–15 Χ 0.3–2.2 cm, base narrowly cuneate and decurrent, forming narrow (up to 6 mm wide) wings on rachis, entire or slightly undulate, apex long acuminate; fertile fronds with longer stipes than sterile ones, pinnae or lobes narrow; lamina papery, dark brown, glabrous; sori linear, one regular row between lateral veins.

Forests, on slopes or on rocks beside streams; 100–2500 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan, S Korea, Vietnam].

9b. Colysis elliptica var. pothifolia (Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 334. 1933.

线蕨  kuan yu xian jue

Hemionitis pothifolia Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 13. 1825; Colysis elegans Sa. Kurata; C. flavescens (Ching) Nakaike, S. Matsumoto & V. L. Gurung; C. Χ kiusiana Sa. Kurata; C. leptophylla H. Itτ; C. pothifolia (Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don) C. Presl; C. pothifolia f. bipinnatifida H. Itτ; C. pothifolia var. membranacea Nakai; Selliguea pothifolia (Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don) J. Smith.

Rhizome very thick, up to 1 cm in diam. Fronds large, up to 70–100 cm; pinnae 7–14 pairs, 13–31 Χ 0.3–3.6 cm.

In forests, on rocks. Chongqing, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong, Hunan, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

9c. Colysis elliptica var. flexiloba (H. Christ) L. Shi & X. C. Zhang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 37: 74. 1999.

边线蕨  qu bian xian jue

Polypodium flexilobum H. Christ, Bull. Acad. Int. Geogr. Bot. 1904: 107. 1904; [??Colysis dissimiliata Ching]; Colysis latiloba Ching; C. sanjiangensis H. G. Zhou & Hua Li; P. dissimilialatum Bonaparte; P. flexilobum H. Christ var. undulato-repandum C. Christensen [??not in Tropicos].

Pinnatifid lobes with a broad wing along rachis, up to 0.2–3.2 cm wide, margin of lobes undulate and crisped.

In forests. Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Vietnam].

9d. Colysis elliptica var. longipes (Ching) L. Shi & X. C. Zhang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 37: 76. 1999.

线蕨  chang bing xian jue

Colysis longipes Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 332. 1933.

Fronds small, pinnatifid lobes only 2 or 3 pairs, lamina yellow-green[??lamina color], thick, deltoid, veinlets obscure.

* On wet rocks in forests. Hainan.

9e. Colysis elliptica var. pentaphylla (Baker) L. Shi & X. C. Zhang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 37: 77. 1999.

线蕨  dian xian jue

Gymnogramme pentaphylla Baker, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew. 1898: 233. 1898; Polypodium ellipticum Thunberg var. pentaphyllum (Baker) C. Christensen; P. mediosorum Ching; P. pentaphyllum H. Christ (1906), not Baker (1891).

Rhizome scales spreading, large, pale brown and shiny, membranous. Pinnatifid lobes 28 pairs, lobes 1.7–5 cm wide at middle.

· In forest; 500–1500 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Xizang, Yunnan.

10. Colysis digitata (Baker) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 328. 1933.

掌叶线蕨  zhang ye xian jue

Gymnogramme digitata Baker, J. Bot. 28: 267. 1890; Colysis digitata f. annamensis (H. Christ) Ching; C. digitata f. cadieri (H. Christ) Ching; C. digitata f. laciniata Ching; C. triphylla Ching & Chu H. Wang; Leptochilus digitatus (Baker) Nooteboom; Polypodium ampelideum H. Christ; P. annamense H. Christ; P. cadieri H. Christ; P. digitatum (Baker) C. Christensen; P. podopterum H. Christ.

Rhizome slender, long creeping, 3–5 mm in diam.; scales narrowly ovate or triangular, 1.5–6.6 Χ 1–1.7 mm, margin denticulate, apex long acuminate to hairlike. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic, thinly herbaceous; stipe stramineous, 20–30 cm; lamina pedately dissected, trifid, unequally trifid, or simple, 8–18 Χ 8–26 cm, widest below middle, base cuneate-angustate to cuneate, margin entire or undulate; longest lobes widest below middle; apical lobe 10–18 Χ 1.5–4 cm, widest about middle or widest below middle; veins ± immersed and indistinct, or prominent and distinct, free included veinlets simple or once forked. Sori linear, one row between two lateral veins, superficial or slightly immersed, on whole surface of lamina.

On rocks by streams, or climbing on lower tree trunks; sea level up to 1400 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Yunnan [Vietnam].

Rarely, some or all of the fertile fronds of Colysis digitata have very narrow linear lobes, sometimes simple leaves occur.

34. LEPTOCHILUS Kaulfuss, Enum. Filicum 147. 1824.

薄唇蕨属  bo chun jue shu

Plants epiphytic, rather small, with long-creeping stem covered with scales; scales peltate, ovate, acuminate, clathrate, margin entire or with long teeth with 1- or 2-celled, glandular marginal projections. Fronds remote, articulate, dimorphic. Sterile fronds: stipe absent or very short, lamina simple, entire, lanceolate, herbaceous; veins anastomosing, areoles regular, decreasing in size toward margin, with re- and excurrent free veins. Fertile fronds: stipe short to long, lamina extremely contracted, linear; sporangia marginally inserted, acrostichoid in appearance, long-stalked; annulus with 14 indurate cells; receptacular hairs multicellular of the spore length[??]; surface plane with spherical deposits and short echinate elements. n = 36.

Five species: tropical Asia; three species in S China.

1a.   Rhizome flattened, covered with small, narrow, lanceolate scales, roots absent or rare at young age, with circumvascular sheaths in cortex only ....................................................................  1. L. axillaris

1b.   Rhizome flattened or round, densely covered with large, broad lanceolate scales, producing sparse or dense roots, with circumvascular sheaths and scattered strands of sclerenchyma in cortex.

2a.   Sterile fronds long, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, decurrent at base; apical part acute or acuminate; spore surface with globules and spines ......................................................................  2. L. decurrens

2b.   Sterile fronds short, ovate or deltoid, cordate at base, apical part obtuse; spore surface with globules only     3. L. cantoniensis

1. Leptochilus axillaris (Cavanilles) Kaulfuss, Enum. Filic. 147. 1824.

薄唇蕨  buo chu jue

Acrostichum axillare Cavanilles, Anales Hist. Nat. 1: 101. 1799; Gymnopteris axillaris (Cavanilles) C. Presl var. axillaris Beddome[??not in Tropicos]; Leptochilus platyphyllus Copeland.

Rhizome 1.5–3.5 mm in diam., dorso-ventrally flattened, not white waxy, bearing scales and hairs, with only circumvascular sheaths; vascular bundles 7–15; roots absent, root hairs on rhizome; scales peltate, sparsely set, distinctly spreading, narrowly ovate or triangular, broadest at middle, 0.5–2 Χ 0.1–0.2 mm, margin denticulate, clathrate or subclathrate; phyllopodia 3–80 mm apart, ± distinct. Fronds strongly dimorphic, thinly herbaceous; lamina simple, narrowly elliptic or narrowly ovate, 9–36 Χ 1.1–6.5 cm; 3–10[??], abaxial surface without acicular hairs, with short glandular hairs [??abaxially], base narrowly angustate, stipe winged for a considerable part to cuneate-angustate to cuneate to cordate, auriculate, margin entire; stipe 2–9 cm, 0.9–1.5 mm in diam. Lamina of fertile fronds simple, linear, 15–30 Χ 0.1–0.5 cm; stipe present, 2–7 cm; venation type 2: connecting veins forming ± one row of more or less equally sized areoles between two adjacent veins, and each costal areole giving rise to two lateral veins, thus lateral veins seemingly branching at or near costa, costal areole bordered by several smaller areoles; veins 7–10 mm apart, prominent and distinct, zigzag, a prominent basiscopic (or sometimes acroscopic) connecting vein dichotomously branching off near costa; connecting veins catadromous, 2–4 between adjacent secondary veins; smaller veins prominent and distinct; free veinlets simple or once forked, usually in- and excurrent. Sori acrostichoid; superficial or slightly immersed; paraphyses present.

Epiphytic in forests. Guizhou, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand].

2. Leptochilus decurrens Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 206. 1828.

似薄唇蕨  si buo chun jue

Acrostichum lanceolatum Hooker (1864), not Linnaeus (1753), nor Roxburgh (1816); A. listeri Baker; A. variabile Hooker; A. variabile var. laciniatum Hooker; Campium decurrens Copeland; C. laciniatum Copeland; C. lanceolatum Copeland; Colysis decurrens (Blume) Manickam & Irudayaraj (1997), not (Blume) Panigrahi (1991), nor (Wallich ex Hooker & Greville) Nakaike (1992), nom. illeg.; C. evrardii Tardieu; C. poilanei C. Christensen & Tardieu; Dendroglossa zeylanica (Fιe) Copeland; Gymnopteris fιei f. anomala Beddome; Gymnopteris fιei var. pinnatifida Beddome; Gymnopteris fιei var. triloba Beddome; Gymnopteris wallichiana C. Presl; Leptochilus hilocarpus Fιe; L. laciniatus (Hooker) Ching; L. laciniatus var. simplex Ching; L. lanceolatus Fιe; L. thwaitesianus Fιe; L. trifidus Alderwerelt; L. zeylanicus Fιe; Paraleptochilus decurrens (Blume) Copeland; Pleopeltis fιei Alderwerelt.

Rhizome 2.5–3 mm in diam.; dorso-ventrally flattened, not white waxy, with only scattered strands of sclerenchyma (rarely also in ca. 6 bundle sheaths); sclerenchyma strands 20–100; roots densely set; scales pseudopeltate (sometimes peltate), densely set, slightly spreading, narrowly ovate or triangular, broadest below middle, 2–5 Χ 0.3–1 mm, margin denticulate, clathrate or subclathrate; cells longitudinally rectangular (towards apex); central region bearing multiseptate hairs at least when young, or central region glabrous; phyllopodia 1–7 mm apart, ± distinct. Fronds strongly dimorphic, thinly herbaceous to herbaceous; lamina simple, narrowly ovate to ovate (to narrowly obovate), 10–50 Χ 2.5–11 cm, abaxial surface without acicular hairs, with short glandular hairs; stipe present or absent, lamina decurrent to its base, only two ridges left; stipe up to 18 cm, 1.2–1.7 mm in diam. Lamina of fertile fronds simple, linear to narrowly ovate to ovate, 0.1–1 cm wide; stipe present, 14–50 cm; venation type 1: connecting veins forming one row of nearly equally sized areoles between two adjacent veins and no prominent veinlet situated parallel to veins, or type 2: connecting veins forming ± one row of nearly equally sized areoles between two adjacent veins, and each costal areole giving rise to two lateral veins, thus lateral veins seemingly branching at or near costa, costal areole bordered by several smaller areoles; veins 5–12 mm apart, prominent and distinct, ± straight or zigzag, dichotomously branched near margin, or below middle, no prominent connecting basiscopic vein branching off near costa; connecting veins anadromous, 3–8 between adjacent secondary veins; smaller veins ± immersed and indistinct; free veinlets simple to once forked, mainly in- or excurrent. Sori acrostichoid, on whole surface of lamina; paraphyses present.

Epilithic or epiphytic on trunk bases, sometimes terrestrial, beside streams in forests; 100–1800 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Malesia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

3. Leptochilus cantoniensis (Baker) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 343. 1933.

心叶薄唇蕨  xin ye buo chun jue

Gymnogramma cantoniense Baker, Hooker’s Icon. Pl. 17: t. 1685. 1887; Campium cantoniense Ching; Dendroglossa cantoniensis (Baker) Copeland; Polypodium cantoniense C. Christensen [??not Baker (1879)].

Rhizome 1–2 mm in diam., rounded, not white waxy, with only scattered strands of sclerenchyma; sclerenchyma strands 10–50; roots sparsely set; scales pseudopeltate, densely set, slightly spreading, ovate or triangular, broadest below middle, 1.5–2.5 Χ 0.5–1 mm, margin entire or denticulate, apex acute, clathrate or subclathrate; cells longitudinally rectangular; central region bearing multiseptate hairs at least when young, obscure. Fronds strongly dimorphic, thinly herbaceous to herbaceous; lamina simple, ovate to deltoid; 2–7 Χ 1.5–4 cm, 1.6–2 ??, abaxial surface without acicular hairs, base truncate to truncate-angustate to cordate, auriculate, margin entire, apex rounded; stipe present, 1–11 cm, 0.5–1 mm in diam. Lamina of fertile fronds simple, linear, 1.5–15 Χ 0.1–0.5 cm; stipe present, 12–30 cm; venation type 2: connecting veins forming ± one row of about equally sized areoles between two adjacent veins, and each costal areole giving rise to two lateral veins, thus lateral veins seemingly branching at or near costa, costal areole bordered by several smaller areoles; veins 1–2 mm apart, ± immersed and indistinct, zigzag, dichotomously branched near margin, a prominent basiscopic (or sometimes acroscopic) connecting vein dichotomously branching off near costa, 2 or 3 between adjacent secondary veins, smaller veins ± immersed and indistinct, marginal vein absent. Sori acrostichoid; paraphyses present, simple uniseriate hairs with glandular top cells.

On rocks along streams. Guangdong, Hainan [Vietnam].