Family

Polypodiaceae

Nomenclature

Prosaptia alata (Blume) Christ, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg, Ser.2, 5: 127. 1905; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 63. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 23: 53. 1968; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 593, f. 59.1–59.3. 1989; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 293. 2000; Parris, Fl. Pen. Malaysia, Ser. I, Ferns & Lycoph. 1: 171. 2010. – Davallia alata Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae.: 230. 1828. – Ctenopteris alata (Blume) Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 232, f. 131. 1955 [‘1954’]. – Type: Zippel s.n., Java, Raab (lectotype L).

Description

Rhizome short, subascending to suberect, bearing a few fronds in a tuft, scaly; scales narrow, up to 4 by 0.7 mm, gradually narrowing towards attenuate apex, subclathrate with darker internal walls, setose hairy at margin, pale brown stipes very short up to 1.2 cm long, castaneous or darker, hairy. Laminae narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblanceolate, gradually narrowing towards both ends, moderately acute to acuminate at apex, deeply lobed to midrib with a wing 0.9–3.6 mm in breadth on each side of midrib, 8.5–20(–63.5) by 1.1–2(–4.5) cm; middle lobes subpatent to slightly ascending, round to moderately acute at apex, entire, 0.5–1(–2.4) cm by 2–3.5(–6) mm; thinly leathery, sparsely hairy at margin, veins simple, hidden. Sori terminal on veinlets, 1–3 on a lobe usually on apical position, submarginal, cup-shaped with the mouth opening towards margin .

Distribution in Thailand

PENINSULAR: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Yala.

Distribution in Cambodia

Kampot.

Wider Distribution

S India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, S Japan, throughout Malesia to the Pacific Islands.

Ecology

On mossy tree trunks in dense evergreen forests or in light forests by streams at low to medium altitudes.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

Least Concern (LC). This species is widespread and not under any known threat.  It is listed as Near Threatened in the Flora of Peninsular Malaysia.

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 4400 & 5509, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Namtok Yong National Park (E).

Voucher specimens - Cambodia

Pierre 5777, Kampot, Kamchay (P).