卵鳞耳蕨 luan lin er jue

Polystichum aculeatum (Linnaeus) Roth ex Mertens var. ovatopaleaceum Kodama, Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 29: 328. 1915; P. aculeatum var. coraiense Christ; P. ovatopaleaceum var. coraiense (Christ) Sa. Kurata; P. retrosopaleaceum (Kodama) Tagawa var. coraiense (Christ) Tagawa; P. retrosopaleaceum (Kodama) Tagawa var. ovatopaleaceum (Kodama) Tagawa.

Plants evergreen. Rhizome erect or ascending, short, densely covered with linear brown scales. Fronds 48-67 cm; stipe yellowish brown, 19-25 cm, 3-4 mm in diam. at base, densely covered with linear, lanceolate, brown scales and larger scales; large scales dense, brown, ovate and ovate-lanceolate, up to 11 × 9 mm, densely serrulate, caudate. Lamina bipinnate, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 42-60 × 18-25 cm at middle, gradually contracted toward base, lower part sterile, apex acuminate, fertile; rachis without proliferous bulbils, abaxially densely covered with linear, lanceolate, brown scales and larger scales; large scales dense, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, pointing laterally or randomly, up to 7 × 4.5 mm, with dense small teeth, acute or caudate. Pinnae 23-26 pairs, alternate or nearly opposite, attached at right angles to rachis, shortly stalked, lanceolate, gradually contracted toward basiscopic base, bases asymmetrical, apices acuminate or slightly caudate; middle pinnae 9-12 × 1.8-2.2 cm, 1-pinnate; costa winged, adaxially sulcate, abaxially densely covered with linear, subulate, light brown scales. Pinnules 15-20 pairs, alternate, shortly stalked, oblong, 0.9-1.3 cm × 4-6 mm, bases cuneate and decurrent at tip, acroscopic margins entire or slightly repand, with rounded auricles, basiscopic margins shortly spinulose, apices acute with acute tips; basal acroscopic pinnules largest, deeply incised; both surfaces densely covered with long-filiform microscales; frond texture papery; venation pinnate, lateral veins 5-7 pairs, dichotomous, distinct. Sori (1-)4-6 pairs per pinnule, in 1 row on each side of midrib, close to midrib, terminal on veinlets; indusia present, entire. 2n = 164.

Forests; 600-1200 m. Anhui (Huangshan) [Japan, Korea].

The rachis scales of Polystichum ovatopaleaceum are ovate and ovate-lanceolate, similar to those of P. retrosopaleaceum (Kodama) Tagawa, but pointing laterally or randomly.