山东耳蕨 shan dong er jue

Plants evergreen. Rhizome erect, densely covered with scales; scales brown, lanceolate. Fronds 30-40 cm; stipe stramineous, 10-15 cm, ca. 2 mm in diam. at base, densely covered with scales; scales brown, narrowly ovate, basal margins with outgrowths; outgrowths hairlike, tortuous and soft; upper margins sparsely fimbriate or subentire. Lamina pinnate, linear-lanceolate, 20-30 × 4-5 cm, base cuneate, apex acuminate; rachis with dense scales abaxially; scales narrowly lanceolate, basal margins tortuous ciliate; apex flagelliform, with proliferous bulbil capable of growing into a new plant. Pinnae 30-34 pairs, alternate, angled at 90° with rachis, shortly stalked, lanceolate, middle pinnae 2-2.5 cm × 5-6 mm, bases oblique, apices obtuse; acroscopic base truncate, with distinct deltoid auricles, basiscopic base cuneate, margins with incurved acute teeth; abaxially scaly; microscales dense or sparse, brown, linear or hairlike, basal margins with outgrowths; outgrowths hairlike, tortuous and soft; frond texture papery; venation pinnate, lateral veins free, slightly raised abaxially, indistinct adaxially. Sori often in 1 row close to acroscopic margins, sometimes also in 1 row on basiscopic side; indusia large, raised at center, entire.

● Rock crevices in forests; below 1100 m. Shandong (Mengshan, Qingdao, Taishan).

Polystichum shandongense is tentatively recognized here. It is possibly conspecific with P. craspedosorum.