ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 
PLATE 152 
GLEICHENIA LAEVISSIMA Christ 
GLEICHENIACEZE 
GLEIGHENIA LAEVISSIMA Christ, Bull. Acad. Géogr. Bot. (1902) 268; C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 322 
(1905). 
Mertensia laevissima Nakai, Bot. Mag. Tokio 39: 182 (1925). 
Gleichenia kiwsiana Makino, Bot. Mag. Tokio 18: 139 (1904); C. Chr. Ind. Fil. Suppl. I. 44 (1906- 
12); Ogata, Ic. Fil. Jap. 4: pl. 179 (1931). 
Rhizome wide-creeping, densely scaly; scales lanceolate, long-acuminate, rufo-bro wn, 
nitid, thick, entire; frond 2-4 cm apart, stipe 30-50 cm long, 3 mm thick near base, green 
or pale straminous, smooth, glabrous above base, rounded beneath, lower part flattened 
with sharp edge above and upper part deeply grooved, lamina ovate, bifurcate at the 
tip of stipe into two similar pinnae of oblong outline, 30-40 cm long, 13-16 cm broad, 
acuminate, axillary bud large, densely scaly, scales ovate, entire, with long subulate 
apices; pinnules linear-lanceolate, acuminate, short-petiolate, the lower ones on the exterior 
side of rachilet much the longest, to 12 cm long, 2 cm broad, gradually shortened up- 
ward, the interior basal one or two pairs generally much smaller, pinnatifid down to 
costa, segments numerous, pectinate, oblique, linear with sharp apices, I-1.53 cm long, 2 
mm broad, lower base decurrent, margin revolute, with rounded and as broad sinus; tex- 
ture rigidly herbaceous. pleasing green, naked throughout, bluish beneath: veins in seg- 
ments I0-15-jugate, suboblique, all forked above base, sori small, medial, borne on the 
anterior veinlets above forking, ccnsisting of 3-4 globular brownish sporangia. 
Kweichow: Kwei-yang, Bodinier 2095 (type), March 18, 1898; Pin-fa, Cavalerie 528; 
Vanchingshan, Yinkiang, Y. Tsiang 7677; Kweiting, Y. Tsiang 5481; Tu-yun Y. Tsiang 
5889B, 5889A. Szechwan: without locality, T. Tang 22775 (1930). Yunnan: Without 
locality, Delavay 46. Kiangsi: Kiukiang, Lu-shan, Dr. Shearer (1887); Three Falls, C. E. 
DeVol 47, August 7; 1933, steep damp hill side. Chekiang: Tientai Shan, R. C. Ching 1427 
(1923), under forest. Kwangtung: Lokchong, N. K. Chun 42513. Kwangsi: Lu-chen 
Hsien, Miu Shan, Dar Siar Ping, R. C. Ching 6189; Ling Yen Hsien, Loh Hoh Tsuen, A. 
N. Steward & H.C. Cheo 184. Hainan Island: without locality, mountain summit, C. 
Wang 35525. 
Also Japan: Kinsin, Oosumi, G. Koidzumi, April 14, 1923. 
One of the most distinct species of the genus, differing from the previous one in 
much smaller size, narrower and more oblique segments with revolute margin and sharp- 
ly pointed apices and in the scales on the axillary bud being entire, light-brown, with 
hair-pointed apices. By the present distribution, this species is now known from central, 
southern and eastern Chinese provinces. 
Plate 152. Fig. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. Two segments, showing venation and sori 
(x 3). 3. Sorus (x 50). 4. Scale from rhizome (x 16). 5. Scale from axillary bud (x 16). 6. Cross 
section of rhizome, showing solenostele (x 4). 
