三叉扇蕨 san cha shan jue

Polypodium triglossum Baker, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1898: 232. 1898; Neolepisorus triglossus (Baker) Ching; Selliguea triphylla Christ.

Rhizome creeping; scales densely set, ferruginous, broadly lanceolate, margin minutely toothed. Fronds not or slightly dimorphic; stipe brown, slender, 30-45 cm, glabrous; lamina trisect into ascending lanceolate segments, middle one up to 40 cm, two lateral segments somewhat shorter, 4-5.5 cm wide, gradually tapering toward both ends, herbaceous/papery, abaxially pale and with sparse scales near costa, adaxially green and glabrous; scales adpressed, dark brown, peltate, ovate-cuspidate, membranous; lamina margins entire or slightly undulate; venation prominent, lateral veins parallel, erect-spreading, extending almost to margin, intermediate veinlets anastomosing copiously into small hexagonal areoles with free included veinlets. Sori small, oblong, superficial, uniseriate or tending to be biseriate along costa between main veins.

● Rocky places in forests. Yunnan.

Neocheiropteris triglossa is very rare and may be extinct in the field. It is perhaps a natural hybrid between N. palmatopedata and Lepisorus macrosphaerus (Baker) Ching.