Polystichum sect. Basigemmifera Zhang in Flora of China @ efloras.org

17. Polystichum sect. Basigemmifera (W. M. Chu & Z. R. He) Li Bing Zhang
[stat. nov.]

小芽胞耳蕨组 xiao ya bao er jue zu

Basionym: Polystichum ser. Basigemmifera W. M. Chu & Z. R. He, Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 5(2): 223. 2001.

Plants small, summer-green or evergreen. Lamina 1-pinnate to 3-pinnate. Rachis with proliferous bulbils at either base or near apex or at both positions. Indusia erose or lacerate.

About five species: Asia; five species (four endemic) in China.

Polystichum sect. Basigemmifera has been accommodated in P. sect. Micropolystichum (FRPS 5(2): 154. 2001) as P. ser. Basigemmifera. However, the type of P. sect. Micropolystichum, P. thomsonii, and its relatives (e.g., P. costularisorum, P. jiucaipingense, P. longidens, P. zayuense) lack bulbils on the rachis and are members of P. subg. Polystichum, while members of P. sect. Basigemmifera have bulbils on the rachis and are members of P. subg. Haplopolystichum.

Polystichum sect. Basigemmifera and P. sect. Mastigopteris are possibly paraphyletic in relation to P. sect. Platylepia.

1 Rachis with bulbil at apex only (2)

+ Rachis with bulbil at base or at both base and apex (3)

2 (1) Lamina 1-pinnate; pinnae oblong or oblong-lanceolate, obviously serrate; basal pairs of pinnae often reflexed; rachis ?with a non-foliose elongation below terminal bulbil. 127 P. erosum

+ Lamina 1-pinnate-pinnatifid; pinnae deltoid-lanceolate, pairs above middle serrate, lower pairs of pinnae profoundly pinnatifid with proximal pair of lobes nearly free; pinnae spreading or slightly ascending; rachis never elongated below rather small terminal bulbil. 128 P. kungianum

3 (1) Rachis with bulbil at both base and apex. 131 P. tiankengicola

+ Rachis with bulbil at base only (4)

4 (3) Lamina 1-pinnate with pinnae being deeply pinnatifid. 129 P. capillipes

+ Lamina 2- or 3-pinnate. 130 P. jiulaodongense

Lower Taxa