高平蕨 gao ping jue

Lemmaphyllum squamatum (A. R. Smith & X. C. Zhang) Li Wang.

Rhizomes 1-1.5 mm in diam., 2-5 cm between stipe bases, densely covered with many ascending and outwardly curved, overlapping scales; scales dark red-brown, acicular from a clathrate, laciniate, peltate base, 5-8 × 0.4-0.8 mm, scale tips uniseriate for 1-2 mm. Fronds up to 7.5 × 1.8 cm; stipe mostly 1-20 mm, with scales similar to those of lamina; lamina entire, monomorphic or slightly dimorphic in size and shape. Sterile lamina 1-4 × 1-1.5 cm; fertile lamina 4-8 × 1-1.8 cm, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate, base cuneate, apex rounded; sterile fronds broadly elliptic to broadly oblong, acute at base, rounded at tip, ca. 1/2 length of fertile fronds or less, densely covered (but some laminar tissue visible between overlapping scales) on both sides with persistent, hairlike scales, these red-brown, mostly 5-10 mm, acicular from peltate, clathrate, dentate-margined bases; acicular tips uniformly red-brown and non-clathrate, with up to ca. 10 teeth per side; teeth up to 0.3 mm, scales extending up to 5 mm beyond lamina margins, curved and ascending to spreading. Sori in single rows midway between midrib and each margin, orbicular, up to ca. 10 on each side of midrib, up to 2 mm in diam., obscured by acicular scales.

On limestone ridges, rare, epilithic on slightly shaded limestone rocks; ca. 800 m. Guangxi [N Vietnam].