前原耳蕨 qian yuan er jue

Polystichum tsus-simense (Hooker) J. Smith var. mayebarae (Tagawa) Sa. Kurata.

Plants evergreen. Rhizome erect, densely scaly; scales dark brown, narrowly lanceolate. Fronds 45-60 cm; stipe stramineous, 22-30 cm, 4-5 mm in diam. at base, lower part densely scaly; scales dark brown, narrowly ovate, upper part of stipe densely scaly; scales brown, lanceolate and narrowly lanceolate, margins ciliate. Lamina narrowly ovate or broadly lanceolate, 28-48 × 8-14 cm, rounded-cuneate, bipinnate at lower part, acuminate; rachis without proliferous bulbils, densely scaly abaxially; scales linear with dilated base, margins ciliate, lower part of rachis with lanceolate scales; scales light brown to blackish brown. Pinnae 20-26 pairs, alternate, slightly ascendant, shortly stalked, lanceolate, often falcate, middle pairs 6-10 × 1.5-2.5 cm, bases oblique, acroscopic margins nearly cuneate, basiscopic margins rounded-cuneate, pinnate, apices acuminate. Pinnules 10-14 pairs, alternate, slightly ascendant, lower pairs shortly stalked, obliquely ovate or narrowly ovate, 8-15 × 5-8 mm, basal part obliquely broadly cuneate, acroscopic bases often with small deltoid auricles, margins with small acute teeth, apices acute and mucronate; basal acroscopic pinnule largest, often ovate, sometimes pinnatilobate; abaxially scaly; microscales filiform, strongly ciliate at base; frond texture leathery; venation pinnate on pinnules, slightly concave abaxially, indistinct adaxially. Sori in 1 row on each side of pinnule midrib, 6-12 per pinnule; indusia present, entire.

Forests; 800-2100 m. Gansu (Kangxian), Guizhou (Hezhang), Henan, Hubei (Junxian), Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Japan].

Polystichum mayebarae is sometimes treated as a variety of P. tsus-simense.