Family

Aspleniaceae

Nomenclature

Asplenium macrophyllum Sw., Schrad. J. Bot. 1800(2): 52. 1801; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 150. 1883; E.Smith, J. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl. 8: 4. 1929; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 431, f. 249. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 28. 1961; Seidenf., Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 19: 86. 1958; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 87. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 283. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 142. 2000.

Description

Epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial. Rhizome short, ascending, up to 1 cm diam., densely scaly; scales gradually narrowing towards long-acuminate apex, about 5 by 1 mm, dark brown to black with narrow margin only in young ones. Stipes up to 25 cm long, purplish, scaly or glabrescent. Laminae oblong to narrowly oblong-subdeltoid, usually broadest just above the very base, rounded at base, acute at apex, up to 35 by 28 cm, imparipinnate; lateral pinnae 3–6 pairs, with the stalks less than 5 mm long, cuneate at basiscopic and roundly auricled at acroscopic bases, gradually narrowing towards caudately long-acuminate apex, up to 12 by 4.5 cm, distinctly toothed at margin, the basal second pair usually the largest; terminal pinna larger, broadly rounded to subhastate at base, up to 12 by 6 cm, chartaceous; veins more or less visible, forming narrow angles with costa. Sori long, usually occupying the whole length of veinlets from near costa to near margin, up to 3 cm long; indusia herbaceous , open to posterior side.

Distribution in Thailand

EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri; PENINSULAR: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Phangnga, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Satun, Pattani, Yala.

Wider Distribution

Old World tropics, E. Africa to Polynesia, north to Vietnam and Taiwan.

Ecology

On rocks, on mossy tree-trunks or terrestrial on calcareous rocky slopes in evergreen forests at low altitudes below 700 m.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4337, Surat Thani, Khlong Phanom National Park (E).