Family

Lindsaeaceae

Nomenclature

Lindsaea divergens Hook. & Grev., Icon. Filic.: t. 226. 1831; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 76, f. 38. 1883; Kramer, Fl. Males., Ser. II, Pterid. 1: 233. 1971; Kramer, Gard. Bull. Singapore 26: 44. 1972; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 142. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 91. 2000. – Isoloma divergens (Hook. & Grev.) J.Sm., Hook. J. Bot. 3: 414. 1841; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 337, f. 195. 1955 [‘1954’]; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 23: 49. 1968.

Description

Rhizome short creeping, nearly black, bearing close fronds, 2.5– 3.5 mm diam., densely scaly at least at apex; scales linear, up to 2 mm long, 2 or 3 cells broad at base, dark brown to nearly black, shining, stiff. Stipes black, polished, grooved on upper surface, scaly throughout, c.15 cm long. Laminae 15–50 cm long, 3.5–7 cm wide; rachis like the upper part of stipe, rounded beneath. Pinnae close, to 50 pairs, sessile, jointed to rachis, patent or reflexed in lower ones, linear, rounded to moderately acute at apex, broadly cuneate at basiscopic, truncate at acroscopic bases, up to 30 by 4 mm, entire; the lower ones gradually reduced to auricles; terminal pinnae large, irregularly lobed at basal part, up to 5 cm long; subcoriaceous; veins pinnate, veinlets forked, free, except as joined by sori, hardly visible on either surface. Sori marginal, continuous along whole length; indusia firm, entire, hardly reaching the margin of pinnae .

Distribution in Thailand

SOUTH-EASTERN: Trat; PENINSULAR: Trang, Songkhla.

Wider Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan.

Ecology

Terrestrial in evergreen forests at 500–700 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Suksathan 3606, Trat (E, QBG).