同形蹄盖蕨 tong xing ti gai jue

Athyrium bijiangense Y. T. Hsieh & W. M. Chu; A. gongshanense Ching.

Fronds caespitose; fertile fronds (40-)65-110 cm; stipe stramineous, (18-)28-50 cm, ca. 2.5 mm in diam., base sparsely scaly; scales dark brown and narrowly lanceolate, upward glabrate; lamina 2-pinnate, deltoid-oblong, (25-)35-60 × (9-)18-30 cm, base broadly cuneate, apex acuminate; pinnae 10-18 pairs, basal pinnae opposite, upper pinnae alternate, obliquely spreading, shortly stalked or sessile, several basal pinnae equal in size, broadly lanceolate, (5-)11-14 × 2-3(-4) cm, base not narrowed, rounded-truncate, equilateral, with very short stalk ca. 1 mm, pinnate, apex long acuminate; pinnules ca. 15 pairs, lower pinnules subopposite, upper pinnules alternate, subspreading, basal pinnules oblong-lanceolate, somewhat falcate, separated from each other, 2-2.2 cm × ca. 5 mm, base subequilateral, slightly auriculate on acroscopic side, adnate to costae on basiscopic side, but not decurrent, pinnatilobate to 1/3, apex subobtuse or obtuse-acute and serrate; small pinnule segments rounded and with 1 or 2 teeth at apex; upper pinnae gradually shortened, lanceolate, somewhat falcate, separate from each other; veins visible abaxially, 2- or 3-forked in segments. Lamina papery when dried, pale green, glabrate; rachis and costae stramineous abaxially, with subulate spines on adaxial side at base of costa or costule. Sori oblong or shortly linear, 7-10 pairs per pinnule, biseriate on both sides of costules; indusia dark brown, oblong or shortly linear, membranous, entire, persistent. Perispore surface without folds.

● Evergreen broad-leaved forests, wet areas; 1200-2600 m. NW Yunnan.

Athyrium uniforme is very close to A. mengtzeense and sympatric with it but differs by the lamina and pinnules usually narrower and longer, the pinnae usually shortly stalked, and the spines on the upper costae and rachis very short.