Family

Pteridaceae, subfamily Pteridoideae

Nomenclature

Pteris scabripes Wall. ex J.Agardh, Recens. Spec. Pter.: 11. 1839; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 399, f. 233. 1955 [‘1954’]; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 82. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 23: 55. 1968; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 253, f. 20.4. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 131. 2000.

Description

Rhizome short, erect; scales up to 5 mm long, thin but firm, deep brown. Stipes dark castaneous to deep purplish, sparsely scaly at base, puberulous upwards, 25–35 cm long on sterile frond, up to 50 cm on fertile one. Laminae with one or two opposite pairs of lateral pinnae and trifoliolate apical pinna; lateral pinnae simple, forked, or trifoliolate, sessile or adnate, simple pinnae or branches linear-lanceolate, gradually narrowing towards base, caudately long-acuminate at apex, finely dentate at margin, the dentation evident at apical margin, in sterile up to 18 by 2 cm, in fertile up to 22 by less than 1 cm; rachis usually winged by the decurrent base of lamina, subcoriaceous, deep green; veins forked, nearly patent, close. Sori continuous along margin of long pinnae or pinnules; indusia pale brown, thin.

Distribution in Thailand

SOUTH-EASTERN: Chon Buri; PENINSULAR; Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat.

Wider Distribution

Peninsular Malaysia.

Ecology

On rocky mountain-slopes in dense evergreen forests at low altitudes.

Similar species

Pteris cretica

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Notes

Pteris scabripes is close to P. cretica, but is distinguished by dark purplish polished stipe, and fewer lateral pinnae which are usually branched and more deeply toothed .

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Sangkhachand 213, Narathiwat, Bacho (P).