台湾姬蕨 tai wan ji jue

Cheilanthes alpina Blume, Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 138. 1828; C. dissecta Hooker & Arnott; Hypolepis alte-gracillima Hayata; H. dissecta (Hooker & Arnott) Brackenridge.

Rhizome 2-5 mm in diam., with dense red-brown hairs to 3 mm. Stipe usually red-brown, sometimes chestnut-brown, distally paler, 12-70 cm, 1.5-5 mm in diam., grooved adaxially, stipe with dense, red-brown, glandular hairs to 0.5 mm and occasional eglandular hairs to 2 mm, ± rough; rachis red-brown or chestnut-brown at base, chestnut-brown to yellow-brown distally, hairs similar to those of stipe; lamina 3- or 4-pinnate, ovate in outline, 20-80(-130) × 10-90 cm, abaxially with stout, often rather rigid, red-brown, brownish tinged, or ± colorless, glandular hairs to 0.5 mm, plus occasional longer, chestnut-brown, eglandular hairs on midribs and veins, adaxially with hairs similar but shorter and sparser; pinnae 20-30 pairs, opposite or subopposite, largest at or near base, ovate to narrowly triangular, 10-52 × 3-28 cm; pinnules narrowly ovate to ovate, 2-14 × 0.8-5 cm; ultimate pinnules to 10 × 5 mm. Sori circular or ovate, without hairs between sporangia, protected by broad, reflexed, green marginal flaps.

Usually at forest margins; 500-2100 m. Taiwan [Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Vietnam; Australia, Pacific islands (New Caledonia, New Hebrides, New Zealand)].

Records of Hypolepis alpina from the Indian subcontinent were based on misidentifications of H. polypodioides (Fraser-Jenkins, Taxon. Revis. Indian Subcontinental Pteridophytes, 558. 2008). Taiwanese material has been included within H. tenuifolia (Fl. Taiwan, ed. 2, 1: 156. 1994).