Family

Blechnaceae

Nomenclature

Stenochlaena palustris (Burm.f.) Bedd., Suppl. Ferns Brit. Ind.: 26. 1876; Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 421, f. 253. 1883; Christ, Bot. Tidsskr. 24: 107. 1901; C.Chr., Bot. Tidsskr. 32: 346. 1916; E.Smith, J. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl. 8: 8. 1929; Holttum, Gard. Bull. Straits Settlem. 5: 254, f. 1, 9–16. 1932; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 412, f. 241. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Dansk Bot. Ark. 20: 27. 1961; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 165, f. 19, 4. 1940; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 3(3): 84. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 83. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 259. 1985; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 147, 181. 2000; Dy Phon, Dictionary of Plants used in Cambodia: 568. 2000. – Polypodium palustre Burm.f., Fl. Indica: 234. 1768.

Description

Rhizome long creeping climbing on tree trunks, green. Stipes up to 15 cm long. Frond about 40–70 cm long, bearing pinnae of up to 15 pairs, opposite; sterile pinnae shortly stalked, articulate, about 15 by 3 cm, but variable in size, acuminate at apex, cuneate at base, pellucid at sharply and irregularly serrate margin; coriaceous, shining above; veins simple or forked, forming a row of narrow costal areoles. Fertile pinnae about 20 by 3 mm, with sporangia on the whole lower surface.

Distribution in Thailand

NORTH-EASTERN: Loei; CENTRAL: Bangkok; SOUTH-EASTERN: Chanthaburi, Trat; PENINSULAR: Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi, Trang, Satun.

Distribution in Laos

Vientiane.

Distribution in Cambodia

Kampot, Koh Kong, Kompong Cham, Kompong Chhang, Ratanakiri.

Wider Distribution

N and S India, S China, Thailand, Indochina, throughout Malesia and Polynesia to Australia.

Ecology

Climbing on tree trunks, or rarely terrestrial or on rocks in rather dry places in shade at low altitudes below 400 m.

Similar species

Lomariopsis lineata (C.Presl) Holttum

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

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

Notes

In Cambodia the young shoots are eaten (Dy Phon, 2000).

Voucher specimens - Thailand

Middleton et al. 5355, Satun, Beside road 2 km from Thale Ban National Park (E).

Voucher specimens - Laos

Vidal 1154B,Vientiane, Ban Sa Phan Mo (P); Vidal 957B, Vientiane, Ban Nong Nieng (P).

Voucher specimens - Cambodia

Martin 1013 bis, Koh Kong, Thmar Rieng (P); Viboth R4-24, Koh Kong, Thma Baing (P); Martin 995, Kompong Cham, Kompong Sramoec (P); Mueller 409, Kompong Chhnang (P); Matras 28, Ratanakiri, Ban Tuh (P).