Ferns of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia

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Family

Polypodiaceae

Nomenclature

Platycerium wallichii Hook., Gard. Chron. 1858: 765; Hook., Fil. Exot.: t. 97. 1859; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 445, f. 272. 1883; C.Chr., Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 26: 335. 1931; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 141. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 23: 229. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 47. 1967; Hennipman & Roos, Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. 80: 113, f. 27e–g, 30, pl. 1, 8b. 1982; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 488, f. 49.7–49.11. 1989; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 258, 283. 2000.

Description

Rhizome short creeping, less than 1 cm diam., bearing fronds densely covered with scales; scales linear, up to 1 cm by 0.4 mm, pale with dark brown central portion, stiff. Fronds strongly dimorphic with nest leaves and fertile fronds. Nest leaves 40 cm or more in length, as wide as long, dichotomously lobed, the deepest sinus more than 20 cm deep, lobes round or moderately acute at apex, longer than wide; main veins and secondary veins raised on both surfaces, smaller ones hardly visible; main veins dichotomous, secondary ones forming network, smaller ones more copiously anastomosing; very thick and fleshy near base, more than 1 cm thick, thin and green at upper portion. Normal leaves up to 50 cm or more long, pendulous, repeatedly dichotomously branching, the base broadly cuneate; ultimate lobes, narrow, up to 15 cm by 3 cm, entire; main veins distinct, dichotomous, smaller ones hardly visible, copiously anastomosing with included veinlets; thick but not leathery, densely stellate hairy; a large area of the lower surface at base of the two first sinuses covered with sporangia, mixed with stellate paraphyses .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei, Nong Khai; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; CENTRAL: Saraburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri; PENINSULAR: Ranong, Satun.

Wider Distribution

E India, Burma (Tenasserim) and Yunnan to Malaysia (Langkawi).

Ecology

Epiphytic on tree trunks usually in not so dense forests, not so rare at lower elevation throughout Thailand.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

	Ferns of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia
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Platycerium wallichii Hook. Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in C:\Data\serverroots\htdocs\ThaiFerns\factsheets\functions.php on line 17 Family Polypodiaceae Nomenclature Platycerium wallichii Hook., Gard. Chron. 1858: 765; Hook., Fil. Exot.: t. 97. 1859; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 445, f. 272. 1883; C.Chr., Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 26: 335. 1931; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 141. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 23: 229. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 47. 1967; Hennipman & Roos, Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. 80: 113, f. 27e–g, 30, pl. 1, 8b. 1982; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 488, f. 49.7–49.11. 1989; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 258, 283. 2000. Description Rhizome short creeping, less than 1 cm diam., bearing fronds densely covered with scales; scales linear, up to 1 cm by 0.4 mm, pale with dark brown central portion, stiff. Fronds strongly dimorphic with nest leaves and fertile fronds. Nest leaves 40 cm or more in length, as wide as long, dichotomously lobed, the deepest sinus more than 20 cm deep, lobes round or moderately acute at apex, longer than wide; main veins and secondary veins raised on both surfaces, smaller ones hardly visible; main veins dichotomous, secondary ones forming network, smaller ones more copiously anastomosing; very thick and fleshy near base, more than 1 cm thick, thin and green at upper portion. Normal leaves up to 50 cm or more long, pendulous, repeatedly dichotomously branching, the base broadly cuneate; ultimate lobes, narrow, up to 15 cm by 3 cm, entire; main veins distinct, dichotomous, smaller ones hardly visible, copiously anastomosing with included veinlets; thick but not leathery, densely stellate hairy; a large area of the lower surface at base of the two first sinuses covered with sporangia, mixed with stellate paraphyses . Distribution in Thailand NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan; NORTH-EASTERN: Loei, Nong Khai; SOUTH-WESTERN: Kanchanaburi; CENTRAL: Saraburi; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri; PENINSULAR: Ranong, Satun. Wider Distribution E India, Burma (Tenasserim) and Yunnan to Malaysia (Langkawi). Ecology Epiphytic on tree trunks usually in not so dense forests, not so rare at lower elevation throughout Thailand. Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment Least Concern (LC). This species is widespread and not under any known threat. Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in C:\Data\serverroots\htdocs\ThaiFerns\factsheets\functions.php on line 17
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