金爪粉背蕨 jin zhua fen bei jue

Doryopteris veitchii Christ, Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 16: 134. 1906; Aleuritopteris cremea Ching; Cheilanthes veitchii (Christ) Ching.

Rhizomes ascending, short; scales concolorous, dark brown to black, narrowly lanceolate. Fronds clustered. Stipe chestnut-red to dark brown, lustrous, 8-15 cm, with reddish brown, linear scales at base. Lamina brownish green, ovate-pentagonal, 7-15 × 5-10 cm, pinnate-bipinnatifid, papery when dry, abaxially with white or milky yellow farina, often also with at least some farinose glands having apical cell tan to pale red, adaxially glabrous; rachis and costae of same color as stipe. Pinnae 4 or 5 pairs, sessile, separated from each other, basal pair largest, subtriangular, 1-pinnate-pinnatifid; pinnules 4-7 pairs, basal basiscopic pinnule largest, 3-4 × 1-2 cm, 1-pinnatifid; ultimate segments oblong or ovate. Veins pinnate, obscure. Sori consisting of 3 to several sporangia, borne at vein tips. False indusia continuous, membranous, margins entire.

● Rock crevices; 1300-2000 m. Guangxi, S and SW Sichuan.

In earlier references, Aleuritopteris veitchii sometimes was confused with A. duclouxii var. sulphurea, which has bicolorous rhizome scales.