Family

Pteridaceae, subfamily Pteridoideae

Nomenclature

Pteris aspericaulis Wall. ex J.Agardh, Recens. Spec. Pter.: 22. 1839; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 82. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 253. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 126. 2000. – Pteris quadriaurita var. aspericaulis (Wall. ex J.Agardh) Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 111. 1883. – Type: Wallich Cat. 107 (lectotype K, designated by Morton; Morton photograph 14805)

Description

Rhizome short, erect or ascending, densely scaly at apex; scales brown, up to 10 by 0.5 mm, with pale ferrugineous edges. Stipes castaneous to deep purplish, puberulous and minutely warty upwards, 30–40 cm long. Laminae oblong-subdeltoid, deeply bipinnatisect, 25–35 by 17–27 cm; lateral pinnae 5–12 pairs, sessile or very shortly stalked, ascending or subpatent, nearly straight or slightly falcate, in lower ones sometimes deflexed, linear-lanceolate, caudately acuminate at apex, up to 15 by 3 cm, basal ones usually the largest, each bearing one, or rarely two basal basiscopic branches like upper pinnae; terminal pinnae like lateral ones, up to 13 by 4 cm; pinnules oblong, oblique, moderately acute at apex, dilated towards base, continuous with neighbouring ones by very narrow wings of costae; the spines on costae at base of costules prominent, usually more than 2 mm, papyraceous or firmer; veins forked, all free, visible on both surfaces. Sori continuous along margin of segments, usually from base upwards; indusia thin but firm , brown.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Chiang Mai.

Wider Distribution

N India, Upper Burma and Yunnan.

Ecology

On humus-rich floor of dense evergreen forests or on muddy rocks near streams at high altitudes above 1500 m.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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