革叶车前蕨 ge ye che qian jue

Replaced synonym: Hemionitis coriacea D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 13. 1825; Antrophyum coriaceum (D. Don) Wallich, Numer. List, no. 43. 1829, not A. coriaceum (Kaulfuss) Blume, Fl. Javae Fil. 85. 1828.

Rhizome shortly creeping; scales dark brown, subulate-lanceolate, 6-9 mm, ca. 0.5 mm wide at base, apex acuminate, bristlelike, margin denticulate, clathrate. Fronds clustered; stipe indistinct; lamina leathery, oblanceolate, 15-30 cm, ca. 2 cm wide at middle, widest above middle, up to 3 cm wide, apex rounded, base long attenuate to very base; costa only visible at base; veins abundantly reticulate, raised abaxially, forming several parallel lines, invisible adaxially. Soral lines continuous, rarely interrupted, parallel, not netted, only lower 1/3 fertile; paraphyses filiform, longer than sporangia. Spores trilete, tetrahedral-globose, surface papillate.

Usually epiphytic on tree trunks in evergreen forests; 1300-1500 m. Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, N Myanmar, Nepal].

Antrophyum wallichianum sometimes approaches the narrow-fronded forms of A. callifolium, except for the obvious stipes of the latter. Dried fronds are olive-green.

Blume’s name, based on material from Mauritius, has been largely overlooked, hence the need for a new name. Wallich gave a clear reference to D. Don and thus his name was one of the few validated in his Numerical List. It seems appropriate to name the taxon in his honor.