2. Aglaomorpha Schott, Gen. Fil. 4. ad t. 19. 1836.
连珠蕨属 lian zhu jue shu
Authors: Zhang Xianchun & Michael G. Gilbert
Pseudodrynaria (C. Christensen) C. Christensen; Psygmium C. Presl.
Plants epiphytic, epilithic, or terrestrial. Rhizome thick, shortly to long creeping; vascular bundles 20-100, arranged in 1 or 2 flattened circles in cross section with conspicuous dorsal invaginations or protrusions; sclerenchyma strands absent. Rhizome scales appressed or spreading, pseudopeltate or rarely peltate, margin toothed or ciliate with 1- or 2-celled glandular projections. Fronds not articulate, monomorphic, usually internally dimorphic, sessile with a dilated base, frond bases imbricate or separate, forming individual nests, rachises not persistent; lamina deeply pinnatifid or subpinnate, with conspicuous nectaries situated below junctions of rachis and costae, or of costae and veins. Pinnae separating from costa and from each other by a line of abscission between costa and base of sinus, gradually smaller toward frond apex, entire, apical pinna present. Venation highly complex, with main areoles delimited by veins and connecting veins, filled with many small areoles containing excurrent and recurrent free veinlets, each veinlet terminating in a hydathode. Fertile parts similar to sterile or usually narrower. Sori small, in rows along connecting veins or veinlets, or distinctly enlarged to form soral patches, in 1 row between midrib and margin. Sporangia glabrous or sometimes with 1-3 acicular hairs. Spores with spines or small globules. n = 36, 37.
About 31 species: restricted to tropical Asia, from Himalaya to Taiwan, most abundantly in Malesia; two species in China.
Plants of Aglaomorpha mainly occur in tropical forests, forming large nests around tree trunks or on rocks. Aglaomorpha is like Drynaria, but the fronds are internally dimorphic. Photinopteris, possessing several unique characters, is not included here; otherwise, the delimitation is according to Roos (Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch., Afd. Natuurk., Sect 2, 85: 1-318. 1985).
