Family

Aspleniaceae

Nomenclature

Asplenium paradoxum Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae.: 179. 1828; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 151, f. 76. 1883; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 430. 1955 [‘1954’]; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 86. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 282. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 143. 2000.

Description

Lithophytic. Rhizome short, ascending, 5–7 mm diam., densely scaly throughout; scales gradually narrowing towards acuminate apex, entire, up to 7 by 1 mm, dark brown, the margin a little paler. Stipes stramineous or darker, purplish at basal portion, sparsely scaly, up to 20 cm long. Laminae broadly lanceolate, pinnate, acute at apex, round at base, up to 40 by 15 cm; rachis stramineous, darker below, minutely scaly or glabrescent, gemmiferous at upper portion; pinnae about 10 pairs, ascending, stalked, lower ones with stalks of 0.5–1 cm, falcate, gradually narrowing from base towards apex; caudately acuminate at apex, broadly cuneate and roundly auricled at acroscopic base and cuneate at basiscopic base, minutely toothed at margin, up to 10 by 3 cm, softly chartaceous to papyraceous, light green; costa grooved above with ridges, raised below, glabrous, the other veins hardly visible. Sori long, up to 2.5 cm long, occupying almost the whole length of veins, 1–3 for each vein group, open to posterior side.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; PENINSULAR: Pattani.

Wider Distribution

W Malesia.

Ecology

On moist muddy rocks in lower montane and evergreen forests up to 1500 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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