Family

Dryopteridaceae

Nomenclature

Arachniodes spectabilis (Ching) Ching, Acta Bot. Sin. 10: 259. 1962; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 93. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 343, f. 30.3–4. 1988; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 200. 2000. – Rumohra spectabilis Ching, Sinensia 5: 58, pl. 11. 1934.

Description

Terrestrial. Rhizome short, erect; scales dense, narrow, up to 12 by 1.3 mm, brown, entire. Stipes stramineous, up to 60 cm long, scaly on basal part, glabrescent upwards; scales up to 20 by 1.5 mm, dark-brown, entire. Laminae oblong-subtriangular, gradually narrowing towards acuminate apex, tripinnate, up to 50 by 35 cm; rachis glabrous, grooved on upper surface; lateral pinnae more than 10 pairs, the lowest the largest, with large basal acroscopic pinnules, middle pinnae distinctly stalked, slightly falcate, linear-subtriangular, widest at base, gradually narrowing towards caudate-acute apex, about 20 by 5–6 cm, upper ones gradually becoming smaller; pinnules oblong-subdeltoid, acute at apex, unequally cuneate at stalked base, often dimidiate at posterior base; segments sessile, oblong, oblique, round to moderately acute, lobed at margin, up to 10 by 5 mm; lobes serrate at margin, ending with moderate awns; harsh, glabrous green on upper surface. Sori dorsal on veinlets, near midrib; indusia round, entirely covered and enveloping the sori when young, breaking down irregularly, about 1.5 mm diam.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Phitsanulok; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi.

Wider Distribution

E Himalayas and SW China.

Ecology

On rather dry or humus-rich mountain slopes in mixed or in evergreen forests at 300–1500 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 5049, Chiang Mai, Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park (E).