NEPHROLEPIDACEAE [FIRST DRAFT]
肾蕨科 shen jue ke
Xing Fuwu, Wang Fa-guo*
Plants medium-sized, terrestrial or creeping on rocks or small trees. Rhizome with peltate-based scales, dorsiventral, long-creeping, or short and erect, bearing stolons and tuber, dictyostelic or solenostelic. Leaves papyraceous or herbaceous, distant or tufted, short- or long-stipitate; lamina lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, pinnate; pinnae articulate to the rachis, sessile, glabrous or sometimes finely hairy, veins 1 - 2 (-3) forked, free, ending in submarginal hydathodes. Sori round, terminal on a veinlet, dorsal or marginal; indusium round-reniform or rarely reniform, or exindusiate, often with a narrow sinus. Spores elliptic or reniform, zygomorphic, monolete.
A family of 3 genera with c. 75 species from most of the tropical regions of the world. Two genera with 7 species occur in China.
1a. Rhizome long creeping, twining; leaves distant; stipes articulate to phyllopodium 1. Arthropteris
1b. Rhizome short and erect; stipes tufted, not articulcate·························· 2. Nephrolepis
1. Arthropteris J. Sm. Ex . J. D. Hook. Fl. New Zealand 2: 53, pl. 82. 1854.
爬树蕨属 pa shu jue shu
Epiphytes with long widely twining and wiriness rhizomes, rhizomes with peltate-based scales, with 2 rows of leaves. Leaves distant, short-stipitate, articulate to phyllopodium; lamina long lanceolate, papyraceous, pinnate; pinnae close together, subsessile, articulate to rachis, nearly falcate, base asymmetrical, margin crenate or undulated. Venation free, 2-3 forked or pinnated, ending in submarginal hydathodes. Sori round in a single row between costa and margin, terminal on a veinlet; indusia round or reniform; sporangia long-stipitate, annulus consisted of 10-13 thickened cells. Spores elliptic, perispore granulate. N = 41.
About 20 species: Madagascar, New Zealand, Arabia, Luzon, Fiji Islands et al. one in China.
1. Arthropteris palisotii (Desv.) Alson in Bol. Soc. Broter. 30: 6. 1956.
爬树蕨 pa shu jue
Aspidium palisotii Desv. In Berl. Mag. 5: 320. 1811; Arthropteris guinanensis H. G. Zhou et Y. Y. Huang.
Rhizome long creeping, 2-3 m long and ca. 2 mm thick, covered with ovate, dark brown, fimbriate, peltate-based scales. Leaves 5-10 cm apart; stipes 1-2 cm long, distant, articulate to phyllopodium; lamina lanceolate, 15-40 × 4-8.5 cm, pinnate; pinnae 30-40 pairs, alternate, 2-4 × ca. 1 cm, articulate to rachis, sessile, base asymmetrical, usually auricled on adaxial side, margin undulate or crenate, apex rounded; lower pinnae shortened, deflexed; rachis shallowly grooved adaxially, densely covered with brown glandular hairs and scales on underside; venation free, forking, ending in hydathodes, short of the margin. Sori round, terminal on a veinlet, in one row nearer margin than costa; Indusia round-reniform, brown, glabrous.
Climbing on tree-trunks or rocks in forests; 250-600 m. Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Taiwan [Africa, Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Polynesia].
2. Nephrolepis Schott, Gen. Fil. pl. 3. 1834.
肾蕨属 shen jue shu
Terrestrial or epiphytic. Rhizome short, erect, dictyostelic, producing long wiriness stolons and tuber which give rise to new plants. Scales of rhizome with thin margins, peltately attached near base. Stipes tufted, vascular bundles arranged in a U-shaped line; lamina pinnate; pinnae usually 40-80 pairs, sessile, articulate to rachis, lanceolate or falcate, base usually asymmetrical, usually auricled on adaxial side, margin crenate, apex acuminate; veins free, pinnated, 2-3 forked, ending in submarginal hydathodes. Sori round, terminal on a veinlet; Indusia round or reniform, often with a narrow sinus. Spores elliptic or reniform, with a irregularly roughened surface, without perispore. N = 41.
A genus of ca. 30 species from most of the tropical regions of the world. 6 species in China.
1a. Leaves 1-1.5 cm wide, lamina elliptic or flabellate, ca. 5 mm long·············· 1.N. duffii
1b. Leaves more than 4 cm wide, lamina lanceolate or falcate, more than 2 cm long.
2a. Leaves usually pendulous; pinnae falcate··········································· 2.N. falcata
2b. Leaves erect; pinnae lanceolate.
3a. Sori not close to edge of pinnae; upper base of pinnae not or hardly auricled 3.N. biserrata
3b. Sori near edge of pinnae; upper base of pinnae auricled.
4a. Central pinnae 4-8 cm long··············································· 4.N. hirsutula
4b. Central pinnae 2-3 cm long.
5a. Lamina thinly herbaceous, glabrous on both surfaces; central pinnae ca. 2 cm long 5.N. delicatula
5b. Lamina firmly herbaceous, rachis sparsely covered with fibriform scales, central pinnae 2-3 cm long 6. N. auriculata
1. Nephrolepis duffii Moore in Gard. Chron. n. s. 9: 622, f. 113. 1878.
圆叶肾蕨 yuan ye shen jue
Rhizome short, erect, producing long wiriness stolons. Leaves tufted, herbaceous, brownish green or brown when dry, appressed squarrose scales on both surfaces; Stipes 10-22 cm long, grayly brown, grooved adaxially, appressed with brown, linear or ovate-lanceolate scales, scales membranous, margin with eyelashes; lamina linear, 30-60 × 1-1.5 cm, 1-2 branched in upper portion, pinnate; pinnae numerous, alternate, elliptic or flabellate, the basal ones shorter and more widely spaced, the upper ones close or touching each other; central pinnae ca, 5 × 7 mm, base usually truncate, margin irregularly crenate; rachis appressed with brown, ovate-lanceolate scales; veins free, palmately forked, ending in submarginal round hydathodes. Fertile leaves unseen.
Cultivated in NW Yunnan [Burma, Malesia, Indonesia, Australia]
2. Nephrolepis falcata (Cav.) C. Chr. in Dansk. Bot. Ark. 9(3): 15, t. 1, f. 5-9. 1937.
镰叶肾蕨 lian ye shen jue
Tectaria falcata Cav. Descr. Pl. 250. 1802.
Rhizome short, erect, covered with dark brown, lanceolate scales, producing long stolons; stolon brown, ca. 1 mm thick, bearing lanceolate scales. Leaves tufted, usually pendulous, thinly herbaceous, glabrous on both surfaces. Stipes10-25 cm long, sparsely covered with ovate scales; lamina broadly lanceolate, 60-120 × 9-11 cm, pinnate; pinnae very numerous, alternate or opposite; basal pinnae small and distant, 1.5-2.8 × 1-1.5 cm, elliptic, base truncate and slightly auricled, apex rounded; central pinnae 5-6 × 1.5-1.8 cm, falcate, base truncate and slightly auricled, apex acuminate. veins free, 2-3 forked, ending in submarginal round hydathodes. Sori round, ca. 2 mm apart, submarginal; indusia reniform, brown.
Epiphytic on trunks in forest, 600-800 m; Yunnan [Burma, Malesia, Philippines, Vietnam]
3. Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott, Gen. Fil. ad t. 3. 1834.
长叶肾蕨 chang ye shen jue
Aspidium beserratum Sw. in Schrad. Journ. Bot. 1800(2): 32. 1801.; Nephrodium biserratum Presl.; Hypopeltis biserrata Bory
Rhizome short, erect, appressed with rufous, lanceolate scales, producing long stolons; stolon dark brown, 1-2 mm thick, sparsely covered with brown, lanceolate scales. Stipes tufted, 10-50 cm long and ca. 4 mm thick, grooved adaxially, grayly brown, covered with lanceolate and fibriform scales at base; lamina narrowly elliptic, 0.7-2 m long or more, 14-30 cm wide, papyraceous, brownish green when dry, slightly covered with lanceolate or linear scales when young, glabrous on both surfaces when mature; pinnae 30-55 pairs, alternate, 1.5-3 cm apart, subsessile, 8-19 × 1-2.5 cm, truncate or rounded at base, margin minutely serrulate, teeth remote, apex acute or acuminate, articulate to rachis; basal pairs of pinnae gradually shortened; rachis sparsely covered with hairs; veins free, once or twice forked, ending in hydathodes near the margin. Sori round, 1.5-2 mm in diameter, 1-2 mm apart; indusia round-reniform, brown, glabrous, sinus narrow.
Two varieties in China.
1a. base of pinnae asymmetrical······································· 3a. N. biserrata var. biserrata
1b. base of pinnae auricled (ca. 1 cm long) on adaxial side··············································· 3b. N. biserrata var. auriculata
3a. Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott var. biserrata
长叶肾蕨(原变种) chang ye shen jue (yuan bian zhong)
Plants 0.7-2 m long or more, 14-30 cm wide; lamina slightly covered with lanceolate or linear scales when young, glabrous on both surfaces when mature; central pinnae 8-19 × 1-2.5 cm, base of pinnae asymmetrical; rachis sparsely covered with hairs.
In forest; 30-800 m. Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Yunnan Pantropic in distributeon.
3b. Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott var. auriculata Ching in Chien et Chun, Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. 2: 317. 1959.
耳叶肾蕨 er ye shen jue
Plants ca. 80 cm high; central pinnae 14-16 × 1.6-2.2 cm, base of pinnae auricled (ca. 1 cm long) on adaxial side, rachis densely covered with long hairs abaxially, pinnae with brown, fibriform scales along costae abaxially.
Endemic to Hainan (Baoting, Lingshui).
4. Nephrolepis hirsutula (Forst.) Presl, Tent. Pterid. 79. 1836.
毛叶肾蕨 mao ye shen jue
Polypodium hirsutulum Forst. Prodr. 81. 1786.; Nephrodium hirsutulum Presl; Nephrolepis multiflora Jarret et Morton.
Rhizome short, erect, producing long dark brown stolons; scales lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, spreading, middle rufous, margin brown, bearing numerous fine hairs.Leaves tufted, papyraceous, dark green when dry, bearing scattered linear scales along veins on abaxial side, sparsely covered with curved hairs and stellate scales in adaxial side; Stipes15-45 cm long and 2-3 mm thick, grayly brown, appressed with brown, lanceolate scales, grooved adaxially; lamina broadly lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 30-70 ×9-15 cm, pinnate; pinnae numerous (20-50 pairs), close, the basal ones gradually shorter and more widely spaced , the upper ones never so close as to touch each other, subsessile, articulate to rachis; central pinnae 4-8 × 1-1.3 cm, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, base unequal, triangularly auricled on adaxial side, margin obviously crenate, apex acuminate; rachis densely covered with brown, fibrous scales on upper side; veins free, 2-3 forked, ending in submarginal round hydathodes. Sori round, ca. 2 mm apart, submarginal; indusia round-reniform, rufous.
Under forests; 200-1200 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Yunnan; widely distributed in tropical Asia and North to Japan.
5. Nephrolepis delicatula (Decne.) Pichi-Serm. in Webbia 23: 181. 1968.
薄叶肾蕨 bo ye shen jue
Nephrodium delicatula Decne. in Jacqem. Voy. Ind. Bot. 4: 178, t. 179. 1844.; Nephrolepis paucifrondesa d’Almeida.
Rhizome short, erect, covered with brown, lanceolate scales, producing long stolons; stolon with brown, ovate scales. Leaves tufted, thinly herbaceous, glabrous on both surfaces;stipes 6-7 cm long and ca. 1 mm thick, stramineous, rarely covered with brown, lanceolate scales, grooved adaxially; lamina linear-lanceolate, 25-50 × 4-6 cm, pinnate; pinnae numerous (30-60 pairs), close, 8-13 mm apart, usually almost touching each other or nearly overlapping, subsessile, articulate to rachis; central pinnae 2-3 × 0.7-1.2 cm, lanceolate, base unequal, slightly auricled on adaxial side, margin minutely crenate, apex acuminate; veins free, 2-3 forked, ending in submarginal elliptic hydathodes. Sori reniform, ca. 2 mm apart, submarginal; indusia broadly reniform, grayly brown.
On rocks; 1150 m. Yunnan (Yingjiang) [India, Burma, Thailand].
6. Nephrolepis auriculata (L.) Trimen in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. 24: 152. 1887.
肾蕨 shen jue
Polypodium auriculatum L. Sp. Pl. 2: 1089. 1753.
Terrestrial or epiphytic. Rhizome short, erect, covered with yellowish-brown, long-subulate scales, producing long wiriness stolons; stolon brown, up to 30 cm long and ca. 1 mm thick, bearing scaly tubers (1-1.5 cm in diameter). Stipes tufted, 5-15 cm long, densely covered with same scales as on rhizome; lamina linear-lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 30-75 × 3-5 cm, pinnate; pinnae 40-120 pairs, alternate, close, lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 × ca. 0.6 cm, unequal at base, margin serrulate to crenate, auricle acute, articulate to rachis; lower pinnae obtuse, gradually shortened; rachis sparsely covered with fibriform scales; veins free, pinnated, forked, ending in submarginal fusiform hydathodes. Sori reniform or rarely round-reniform; indusia reniform, brown.
Along stream in forest; 20-1500 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong, Hunan, Macau, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang. Tropical and subtropical regions in the world.
South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China;
Correspondence to: XING Fu-Wu. E-mail: xinfw@scib.ac.cn