Polystichum rarum Ching & S. K. Wu.

Plants summer-green. Rhizome erect, densely covered with narrowly lanceolate dark brown scales. Fronds 30-60 cm; stipe 14-24 cm, 3-4 mm in diam. at base, whole stipe or at least lower part brown, shiny, scaly; scales brown, ovate and linear, gradually sparser toward lamina apex. Lamina bipinnatipartite or bipinnate, broadly oblanceolate or narrowly obovate, 30-46 × 8-12 cm, contracted at base, acuminate; rachis without proliferous bulbils, stramineous, sometimes lower part brown, scaly on both surfaces; scales brown, lanceolate and linear. Pinnae 26-32 pairs, alternate, attached at right angles to rachis, sessile, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, middle pairs 4-6 × 1-15 cm, bases oblique and nearly truncate, auriculate acroscopically, pinnatipartite or middle pinnae pinnate, apices acuminate. Lobes 8-12 pairs, nearly opposite, slightly ascendant, overlapping or nearly approximate, obliquely oblong or rhombic-ovate, 5-8 × 3-4 mm, bases obliquely cuneate and ± decurrent to pinna rachis, with acute teeth on both sides, apices acute; abaxially with long-filiform microscales, adaxially subglabrous; frond texture papery; venation pinnate on lobes, distinct on both surfaces. Sori in 1 row on each side of midrib of lobe; indusia present, incised.

It is possible that Polystichum gongboense is conspecific with P. sinense.

● Alpine shrubs, coniferous forests, meadows; 2500-4200 m. NW Hubei (Shennongjia), W Sichuan, S and SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.