Family

Polypodiaceae

Nomenclature

Goniophlebium microrhizoma (C.B.Clarke ex Baker) Bedd., Suppl. Ferns Brit. Ind.: 21, t. 384. 1876; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 322. 1883; Rödl-Linder, Blumea 34: 395. 1990; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 271. 2000. – Polypodium microrhizoma C.B.Clarke ex Baker in Hook. & Baker, Syn. Fil. ed. 2: 511. 1874; Ching, Contr. Inst. Bot. Natl. Acad. Peiping 2: 47. 1933; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 57. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 570, f. 57.9 & 57.10. 1989. – Metapolypodium microrhizoma (C.B.Clarke ex Baker) S.G.Lu & L.H.Yang, J. Wuhan Bot. Res. 28(4): 509. 2010.

Description

Rhizome long creeping, about 3 mm diam., dark brown to nearly black, densely covered with scales; scales narrowly ovoid with tails, up to 5 by 1 mm, pale brown to greyish-brown or darker, toothed at margin. Stipes 10–15 cm long, stramineous or faintly castaneous beneath, densely scaly at base, glabrescent upwards. Laminae deeply pinnatifid to pinnatisect, narrowly lanceolate, (16–)35–45 by (6–)10–13 cm; rachis stramineous and grooved on upper surface, castaneous beneath, glabrous, nearly wingless in the lowest portion; lateral lobes up to 35 pairs, basal ones not or very slightly deflexed, a little shorter than the next above, middle ones lanceolate, acute to acuminate at apex, toothed at margin, patent, straight, 3–6.5 by 0.6–1.2 cm; veins anastomosing to form a row of large costal areoles at each side of costa each containing a simple included veinlet, the other veins free; herbaceous or thinly papyraceous, green, glabrous. Sori round or elliptical, at ends of the free included veinlets of costal areoles, more or less immersed .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Mai.

Wider Distribution

N India, Upper Burma, SW China (Yunnan & Sichuan) and Taiwan.

Ecology

On mossy tree trunks in dense evergreen forests, rather rare on highest part at 2000–2300 m alt, in Northern region.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4496, Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon National Park (E).