Family

Tectariaceae

Nomenclature

Tectaria coadunata (J.Sm.) C.Chr., Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 26: 331. 1931; Ching, Sinensia 2: 18, pl. 1, 2. 1931; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 3(3): 86. 1965; Tagawa & K.Iwats., SouthE. Asian Stud. 5: 97. 1967; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 367. 1988; Holttum, Fl. Males., Ser. II, Pterid. 2: 58. 1991. – Sagenia coadunata J.Sm., J. Bot. 4: 184. 1841, based on Aspidium coadunatum Wall. ex Hook. & Grev., Icon. Filic.: t. 202. 1831, non Kaulf. 1824. – Type: Wallich 377, Nepal (E).

Sagenia macrodonta Fée, Mém. Foug., 5. Gen. Filic.: 313, t. 24 A, f. 1. 1852. – Tectaria macrodonta (Fée) C.Chr., Index Fil. Suppl. 3: 181. 1934; Tardieu & C.Chr., Fl. Indo-Chine 7(2): 410. 1941; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 505. 1955 [‘1954’].

Tectaria christii Copel., Philipp. J. Sci., Sect. C, Botany 2: 416. 1907; Tagawa & K.Iwats., Fl. Thailand 3: 621. 1988; Holttum, Fl. Males., Ser. II, Pterid. 2: 56. 1991; Boonkerd & Pollawatn, Pterid. Thailand: 211. 2000. (See note below). – Type: Lectotype (selected by Copeland 1911), Copeland 1899, Philippines, Luzon, Bontoc, Sagada (MICH).

Aspidium cicutarium auct. non Sw.: Bedd., Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 220. 1883.

Description

Rhizome short creeping, thick; scales stiff, gradually narrowing towards long-tailed apex, up to 15 by 1 mm, entire, dark brown. Stipes 35–45 cm long, stramineous to pale castaneous, glabrescent above. Laminae deltoid, 60–100 by 60 cm, bipinnatifid to tripinnatifid; basal pinnae asymmetrically oblong-subdeltoid, long-stalked, up to 55 by 40 cm; middle pinnae 5–7 pairs below deeply lobed apical pinnae, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, acute at apex; pinnules of middle pinnae stalked, oblong-subtriangular, acuminate at apex, deeply lobed to 4/5 way towards costa, up to 15 by 10 cm; secondary pinnules oblong to oblong-ovate, round at apex, crenate; thin, herbaceous, light green; veins copiously anastomosing, with included free veinlets; rachis, pinna-rachis, midrib of pinnules and segments more or less densely hairy, upper surface of lamina and margin hairy; hairs articulated, coarse. Sori at apex of included veinlets, in one row at each side of midrib of ultimate lobes, medial, indusiate; indusia rather large, up to 1.2 mm diam., glabrous .

Distribution in Thailand

NORTHERN: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai.

Distribution in Laos

Xieng Khouang.

Wider Distribution

Tropical Africa, India, SW China, Indochina, Taiwan and W Malaysia.

Ecology

On mountain slopes in dense forests at 350–1500 m alt.

Proposed IUCN Conservation Assessment

Least Concern (LC). This species is widespread and not under any known threat.  Research is needed on its delimitation but the various forms of it are all quite common and widespread.

Notes

This species needs taxonomic attention due to confusion over application of the names Tectaria coadunata and Tectaria christii (compare Flora of Thailand and Flora Malesiana). The problem is whether these two species are distinct or not and, if they are, whether only one or both occur in Thailand.