中甸蹄盖蕨 zhong dian ti gai jue

Athyrium habaense Ching.

Rhizomes short, erect, apex densely clothed with red-brown, linear-lanceolate scales. Fronds caespitose; fertile fronds 55-90 cm; stipe blackish brown, upward pale stramineous, 25-35 cm, 1.5-2.5 mm in diam., base densely scaly, upward glabrate; lamina 2-pinnate with pinnules pinnatipartite, or nearly 3-pinnate, narrowly deltoid-ovate, 35-60 × 30-45 cm, base broadened, apex acuminate; pinnae 14-16 pairs, alternate, subspreading, sessile (basal pinnae sometimes shortly stalked), basal pinnae largest, oblong-lanceolate, up to 25 × ca. 12 cm at middle, base narrowed, truncate, alongside rachis, bipinnatipartite, apex acuminate; pinnules ca. 18 pairs, basal pinnules subopposite, catadromous, upper pinnules alternate, subspreading, broadly lanceolate, basal 2 or 3 pairs of pinnules shortened (basal pinnules 1.5-2.2 cm); middle pinnules largest, 5-6 × 1.9-2.1 cm at base, base equilateral, subtruncate, alongside costae, somewhat adnate to costae, but not decurrent, pinnatipartite nearly to costule, apex acuminate; pinnule segments ca. 12 pairs, subspreading, acroscopic and basiscopic segments subequal, oblong, basal segments slightly larger, 9-10 × 4-5 mm, pinnatilobate, apex rounded-obtuse; ultimate segments with 2 or 3 small teeth or biserrate at margin; second or third basal pinnule segments subequal in size to basal segments, but not narrowed to base; upper pinnule segments gradually smaller, distal part of pinnule pinnatifid; veins visible adaxially, clearly visible abaxially, pinnate in segments, lateral veins 5 or 6 pairs, oblique, lower veins 2- or 3-forked. Lamina herbaceous when dried, green, glabrate; rachis, costae, and costules stramineous abaxially, with subulate spines on adaxial side at base of costa and costule, and sometimes also in distal part of midrib. Sori orbicular-reniform, J-shaped, or horseshoe-shaped, 3-5 pairs per segment, biseriate on both sides of costules; indusia brown, orbicular-reniform, J-shaped, or horseshoe-shaped, membranous, erose at margin, persistent. Perispore surface without folds, reticulate.

● Coniferous forests on mountains; 3000-4000 m. NW Yunnan.