ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 
BEADES 77, 
ACROPHORUS STIPELLATUS (Wallich) Moore 
POLYPODIACE 
AGROPHORUS STIPELLATUS (Wallich) Moore, Gard. Chron. (1854) 135; C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 4 
(1905) pro parte; Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 26: 273 (1931); Wu Polyp. Yaoshan. in 
Bull. Dept. Biol. Coll. Sci. Sun Yatsen Univ. No. 3: 20 t. 1 (1932); Ogata, Ic. Fil. Jap. 
5: t. 20I (1933). 
Davallia stipellata Wallich List no. 260 (1828, nom. nud.). 
Acrophorus nodosus J. Sm. Hist. Fil. 222 (1875); Christ Farnkr. d Erde 285 (1897); Diels in Engl. 
u. Prantl: Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1: 4, 164 (1899) pro parte; Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. t. 93 (1865). 
Davallia nodosa Hk. sp. Fil. 1: 157 (1846); Hk. Journ. Bot. (1857) 9 t. x0; Syn. Fil. 92 (1867), 
pro parte. 
Leucostegia nodosa Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. Suppl. 4 (1876); Handb. Ferns Brit. Ind. 56 (1883). 
Rhizome subterrancous, thick, woody, oblique or short-creeping, densely scaly; 
scales large, bright brown, over I cm long, ovate-acuminate, thin, entire, extending up- 
ward to some distance above base of stipe; fronds caespitose, stipe 30-45 cm long, nearly 
I cm thick at base, straminous, subnitid, lower patt densely scaly and muricated by 
transversed scars from the persistent base of fallen scales, lamina immense, ovate, to 70 
cm long, nearly as broad, acuminate, 4-pinnate; pinnae about r0-jugate, opposite, horizon- 
tally patent, sessile, the lower pairs 12 cm apart, the basal pair much the largest, to 40 cm 
long, 30 cm broad, ovate, acuminate, rachilet curved upward, pinnules of first order about 
10-jugate, sessile, patent, basal pair opposite and much shortened, 4 cm long, the second 
one on posterior side much the largest, to 15 cm long, those on the anterior side all much 
smaller than those on the other side, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, far apart; pinnules of 
second order about 10-jugate, perdendicular to rachilet, oblong-lanceolate, sessile, basal 
pair opposite, shortened, against rachilet of first order, the second pair 3-5 cm long, 1.2 
cm broad; ultimate pinnules 6-9-jugate, oblong-ovate, cuneate, rounded, lobato-incised 
with 1-2-3 pairs of rounded angular uninerved soriferous lobes; texture herbaceous, pale 
green or brownish, glabrous beneath except base of pinnae and pinnules of different order 
being provided with a few large broadly ovate acuminate deeply cordate scales at the 
point of insertion, upper side of rachis and rachilets pustulately hairy, of ultimate seg- 
ments with a few short, appressed, rufo-red, articulated hairs, of costa somewhat spinu- 
lose; veins in ultimate pinnule distinct, pinnate, one to each lobe, falling far short from 
margin; sevi small, rounded, one to each lobe, terminating the veinlet some distance below 
margin, imdusium small, gray, membranaceous erosed at top, free on all sides except 
being cucculate at base; spores broadly winded. 
Yunnan: Between Tengyueh and Burmese border, J. F. Rock 7358. Kwei-chow, 
Pin-fa, Cavalerie 2857; Tuhshan, Y. Tsiang 6959, 6720; Van-chin Shan, Steward et Chiao 
858. Kwangtung: Lokchong, N. K. Chun 42404. Kwangsi: Yao Shan, S. S. Sin 459A, 
Szechwan: Without locality, W. P. F. ang 8257. 
Formosa: Mt. Arisan, Drs. F. et C. Baker, Nov. 1914, 2300 ft. alt., (pro parte); U. 
Faurie 662. 
Also Himalayas, Khasia and Tonkin. 
The genus Acrophorus comprises to-day two species, the other being A. Blumei 
Ching (Aspidiwm nodosum Bl.) from Malesia-Polynesia, which differs from the continental 
one in smaller size, more finely dissected leaves of an opaque color when dried, more 
copiously scaly and hairy lamina and much larger indusium of brown color and rigider 
consistancy. 
Fern students have been much divided in their opinions as to the systematic posi- 
tion of this rather isolated genus, but in the light of anatomical and morphological eviden- 
ces, I am convinced that its natural position falls with Davallioid ferns, and especially 
Leucostegia (L. perdurans Christ, for instance). 
Plate 177. Fig. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2: Pinnule of 2nd. order, showing venation, 
position of sori and the large orbicular scale at its base beneath (x 3). 3. Ultimate pinnule, showing 
venation, position of sori and mannet of indusial attachment (x Io). 4. Scale detached from the base of 
pinnule of each order (x 16). 5. Hairs from the opper side of rachilet (x 76). 6. Hairs from the upper 
side of pinna (x 76). 7. Scale from base of stipe (x Io). 
