法斗莲座蕨 fa dou lian zuo jue

Fronds 85-130 × 60-70 cm, with up to 4 pairs of pinnae; stipes smooth. Laminae pinnate to bipinnate; pinnae 45-65 × 18-70 cm, with 7-15 pairs of spreading pinnules; pinnules lanceolate, 7-16 × 1.5-2.5 cm, bases cuneate, margins serrate to crenulate, apices acute. Veins sparse, less than 10 per cm, false veins absent (or obscure). Sori 1-3 mm from margin, 1-2 mm, with 5-16 sporangia.

● Broad-leaved or open forests; 1500-1600 m. Yunnan (Xichou).

It has been suggested that Angiopteris sparsisora is of hybrid origin because it putatively is intermediate between Angiopteris and the formerly independent Archangiopteris, but this has not yet been proven to be the case. This species is, however, one of the reasons why it is difficult to draw a clear morphological distinction between the two genera, and (apart from the molecular evidence provided by Murdock, Amer. J. Bot. 95: 626-641. 2008) it is a further reason to merge Archangiopteris with Angiopteris.