Family

Thelypteridaceae

Nomenclature

Macrothelypteris ornata (Wall. ex Bedd.) Ching, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 8: 309. 1963; Holttum, Blumea. 17: 30. 1969; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 223. 2000. – Polypodium ornatum Wall. ex Bedd., Ferns S. India: t. 171. 1864. – Phegopteris ornata (Wall. ex Bedd.) J.Sm., Hist. Fil. 233. 1875; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 294, f. 152. 1883. – Thelypteris ornata (Wall. ex Bedd.) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 6: 346. 1936; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 64. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 396, f. 38.4–38.7. 1988, p.p.

Description

Rhizome short, erect or ascending; scales linear-lanceolate, concolorous, brown, about 20 by 2 mm, densely hairy both on dorsal surface and at margin. Stipes thick, about 100 cm long, up to 2 cm thick at base, scaly, spiny. Laminae oblong-subtriangular, tripinnate-quadripinnatifid, commonly 100 by 80 cm or even larger; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, gradually narrowing towards acuminate apex, up to 55 by 25 cm, basal one or two pinnules often reduced in size, close to rachis; larger pinnules oblong-lanceolate with acuminate apex, up to 15 by 2.2 cm; ultimate segments narrowly oblong, rounded at apex, adnate at base, deeply lobed nearly to midrib, up to 15 by 5 mm; lobes oblong-subdeltoid, oblique, rounded at apex, entire, about 1.5 by 1 mm, often revolute in dried specimens; papyraceous, green, hairy on under surface; rachis scaly, spiny, pinna-rachis scaly as well as hairy, costules winged throughout, densely covered with multicellular hairs; veins pinnate, veinlets simple or forked, not reaching the margin of lobes. Sori dorsal on veinlets, one for each lobe, indusiate (see note), indusia with long hairs, sporangia often with short capitate hairs and sometimes a few with 1 or 2 setose hairs.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Lampang; NORTH-EASTERN: Phetchabun; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi.

Wider Distribution

S & N India, N Burma and Taiwan.

Ecology

On clayey ground in open or half-shaded places at 600–800 m alt.

Similar species

Macrothelypteris torresiana (Gaudich.) Ching

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Notes

In the Flora of Thailand this species is said to be exindusiate , agreeing with Holttum's revision (Blumea 28: 25-32. 1969) and Flora Malesiana.  However, the Thai material determined as this species that we have seen has very small indusia .  The taxonomic status of Macrothelypteris ornata in Thailand requires further investigation. Holttum says that Macrothelypteris polypodioides is in Thailand rather than M. ornata but we have seen no material which matches his description of that species . 

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Winit 1067, Lampang, Mae Tia (BKF); Iwatsuki T-7317, Chanthaburi, Khao Soi Dao (BKF).