洪雅耳蕨 hong ya er jue

Polystichum xiphophyllum (Baker) Diels f. bipinnata Ching.

Plants evergreen. Rhizome erect, densely scaly; scales brown or dark brown, narrowly ovate. Fronds 30-60 cm; stipe stramineous, 18-40 cm, 3-4 mm in diam. at base, densely scaly; scales dark brown or blackish brown, linear-lanceolate, margins ciliate, sometimes upper part of stipe glabrous, lower part of stipe with lanceolate scales. Lamina bipinnate, broadly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 25-50 × 10-14 cm, rounded-cuneate, acuminate; rachis without proliferous bulbils, densely scaly abaxially; scales blackish brown or brown, linear with dilated base, margins ciliate. Pinnae 18-20 pairs, alternate, attached at right angles to rachis or slightly ascendant, shortly stalked, linear-lanceolate, middle pairs 6-10 × 1.2-2 cm, bases obliquely cuneate, acroscopic margins shallowly cordate, basiscopic margins semi-orbicular, pinnate, apices long acuminate. Pinnules 6-12 pairs, alternate, slightly ascendant, lower pairs shortly stalked, obliquely broadly ovate or broadly obovate, lower pairs 6-8 × 4-5 mm, bases obliquely broadly cuneate, acroscopic bases without or only with inconspicuous auricles, margins entire or with few inconspicuous small teeth, apices obtuse, or acute and mucronate; basal acroscopic pinnule largest, often ovate, sometimes acroscopic side pinnatilobate; abaxially with few microscales, microscales yellowish brown, hairlike; frond texture thinly leathery; venation pinnate on pinnules, lateral veins often forked, indistinct on both surfaces or only slightly concave abaxially. Sori in 1 row on each side of pinnule midrib, 2-8 per pinnule; indusia present, repand.

● Under bushes; 1300-1900 m. Chongqing (Chengkou), Guangdong (Ruyuan), Guizhou, Hunan (Shimen), Jiangxi (Huanggang), Sichuan (Hongya, Xingwen), Yunnan (Maguan).

Polystichum pseudoxiphophyllum is tentatively recognized here pending further study. It is similar to P. xiphophyllum. One of us (Barrington) thinks it is more similar to P. pseudosetosum and P. tsus-simense.