ICONES FILICTJM SINICARUM 



23 



PLATE 12. 

 POLYSTICHUM HECATOPTERUM Did 



, POLYPADIACEAE 



POLYSTICHUM HECATOPTERUM Diels in Engl. Jahrb. 29: 193 (1900); C. Chr. Ind 58- 



(1906); Mathew in Jour. Linn. Soc. 39: 386 (1911). 



Polystichum auriculatum Presl var. stenophyllum Baker in Jour. Bot. (1888) 227. 

 Hemesteum hecatopterum Leveille, Flore du Kouy-tscheou 496 (1915). 



Rhizome short, erect, thick as raven's quill, clothed like the stipes with moderately 

 dense membranaceous brown dimorphic scales, the one broad lanceolate the other 

 linear-subulate, both are hair-pointed; stipes tufted (3-4 together), slender, terete beneath 

 bisulcate above, 5-15 cm. long; frond elongate linear, gradually tapering towards both 

 ends, 20-35 cm. long, 2-3 cm. broad at the middle, pinnate; pinnae 40-50 on each side, 

 1.2-2 cm. long, I cm. broad, close or subimbricate, subrhombic-oblong, gradually de- 

 flexed downward, but the upper ones horizontally patent, the upper inner side straight 

 and parallel to the ractiis, much produced into a triangular auricle, provided at the apex 

 with a bristle, the lower side cut away to the costa, apex rounded, margin spinuloso- or 

 aristatato-denticulate; veins inconspicuous, fine, pinnate, regularly once forked, except 

 those towards the apex which are simple, the upper pinnae fertile; sori between the 

 • costa and margin, mostly 6-10 on the upper side and none or 2-4 on the lower side of 

 the costa, inducium rounded, peltate, smaller than the sori, attached by the centre, 

 which is slightly depresed and blackish. 



Distribution: Szechuan 



I 



* 



This is a uniquely distinct species, well marked by short scaly stipe and pectinate- 

 ly close oblong pinnae with 8-10 often incurved long-aristate teeth on each side, the 

 lower pinnae considerably abbreviated and strongly deflexed. This pretty fern was 

 first discovered by Rev. Earnst Faber on Omei Shan early in 1886 and described two 

 years later by Baker as Aspidium auriculatum Sw. var. stenophyllum in following words: 

 "Approaching to Aspidium lonchitis in habit, with a frond a foot long and scarcely 

 above an inch broad at the middle, with subrhomboidal spinulose conspicuously auricled 

 pinnae much cut away on the lower side of the midrib" (Jour. Bot. XXVI. 227, 1888). 

 It was, however, not until 1900 when Herr von Rosthorn's plants collected in Tapao 

 Shan, in Nan-chuan, S. E. Szechuan (189 1), was brough under the notice of Dr. Diels, 

 who gave the name as it bears to-day, not quite sure then as to the identity of his 

 species to Baker's var. stenophyllum. I have seen Faber's plant (No. 1305) in Hongkong 

 Herbarium and found it is typical of Diels' species except with longer stipe (-12 cm.). 

 Ample materials collected b}' Wilson in W. Szechuan show that fronds even from same 

 rhizome may vary from 2-3-4 cm - m width, and it is with the broadest frond that the 

 species somewhat approaches P. auriculatum Presl in habit but for long-aristate teeth 

 and more sharp auricle. Evidently a fairly common fern in Szechuan, particularly on 

 Omei Shan.— R. C. C. 



Plate 12. Fig. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. A pinna from the middle part of the frond, 

 showing venation and sori (x 3). 3. A portion of the pinna, showing venation, sori and scales attached 

 (x 12). 4. Scales from the stipe, (x 31) 5. Scale from the rachis (x 31). 6. Sporangium (x 145). 



