Family

Aspleniaceae

Nomenclature

Asplenium interjectum Christ, Bull. Acad. Int. Geogr. Bot. 11: 241. 1902; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 230. 1940; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 23: 112. 1968; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 276, f. 22.3. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 141. 2000. – Type: J.Laborde & E.Bodinier 2094, China, Province du Kouy-Tcheou (E, E00413970).

Asplenium sp.; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 29. 1961.

Description

Lithophytic. Rhizome short, creeping or ascending, densely scaly; scales narrowly elliptic, gradually narrowing towards acuminate but not hair-pointed apex, about 4 mm long, up to 0.7 mm broad, entire, nearly black, clathrate. Stipes purplish below, grooved on upper surface, 3–24 cm long. Laminae oblong-subdeltoid, widest at base, narrowing towards acuminate apex, 4.2–24 by 2.2–17 cm, tripinnatifid or more; pinnae anadromous, up to 12 pairs, stalked, up to 11.4 by 4.9 cm, upper ones gradually becoming smaller and less dissected; rachis and costa pale green, grooved, glabrous; larger pinnules and upper pinnae deeply lobed with 2–5 segments, shortly stalked, up to 1.2 by 7 mm; ultimate segments oblong to spathulate, toothed at rounded to truncate apex, up to 5 by 3 mm, herbaceous to softly papyraceous, pale green to yellowish-green, glabrous; non-spore-bearing fronds shorter, thinner, usually not erect; veins distinct, a little raised. Sori 1 to 3 on each segment, 3–5 mm long, sometimes fusing to the neighbouring ones at maturity; indusia thin, entire, ferrugineous .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai.

Wider Distribution

China (Guizhou) and N Vietnam.

Ecology

On moist rocks, usually on limestone, in moist dense evergreen forests at 500–1600 m.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Norsaengsri & Tathanna 7297, Chiang Rai (QBG); Middleton et al. 4974, Mae Hong Son, Tham Lot cave area (E); Middleton et al. 5018, Chiang Mai, Kio Phawok border checkpoint (E).