ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 
PLATE 185 
HEMIGRAMMA DECURRENS (Hooker) Copeland 
POLYPODIACEZ: 
HEMIGRAMMA DECURRENS (Hooker) Copeland, Phil. Journ. Sci. 37: 404 (1928); C. Chr. Ind. 
Fil. Suppl. III. 109 (1934), cum. syn. 
Gymno pteris decurrens Hk. Journ. Bot. 9: 359 (1857); Fil. Exot. t. 94 (1859); Benth. Fl. Hongk. 
443 (1861) (non Hk. Gard. Ferns t. 6, 1862). 
Acrostichum decurrens Hk. Sp. Fil. 5: 274 (1864); Syn. Fil. ed. 2, 118, (1874); Dunn & Tutcher, Fl. 
Kwangt. & Hongk. 355 (1912). 
Leptochilus Harlandii C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 385 (1905), cum. syn. 
Polypodium dimorphum Baker (non Link, 1833), Ann. Bot. 5: 477 (1891). 
Poly podium hainanenae C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 531 (1905). 
Gymnopteris Bonit Christ, Bull. Herb. Boiss. I1. 4: 610 (1904); Copel. 1. c. 405. 
Leptochilus Kanashirot Hayata, Ic. Pl. Form. 5: 298 f. 120 (1915). 
Tectaria dictyosora Cop. Phil. Journ. Sci. 38: 187 (1929). 
Hemigramma distincti petiolata Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 1: 156 (1930). 
Rhizome thick, woody, oblique or short-creeping, densely scaly at extremity and base 
of stipe; scales linear-subulate, over 1 cm long, atro-brown or castaneous, shining, rather 
thick and firm; fronds cespitose; strongly dimorphous, sterile ones with rufo-brown or 
castaneous shining stipe, 10-25 cm long, broadly winded over two-thirds way towards 
scaly base, lamina ovate, 16-35 cm long, less broad; pinnatifid or pinnate at base (some- 
times simple) with 1-2 or 3 pairs of opposite, broadly lanceolate, acuminate, entire pinne 
to 20 cm long, 5 cm broad, narrowed towards decurrent or sessile base, the terminal 
pinna much the largest, narrowed towards both ends and connected with the lower 
lateral pair by broad decurrent wing on each side; ¢exture subcoriaceous, firm, rich brown- 
green, glabrous on both sides, costa and rachis shining brown or light castaneous beneath; 
venation distinct, lateral main veins oblique, connected by finer transvers? ones, interven- 
ing veinlets copiously anastomosing in several rows of large angular areole with divaricate 
clavate veinlets; fertile fronds with stipe to 40 cm long, lamina conform but smaller with 
contracted decurrent pinne to 10 cm long, 2 cm broad, areole mostly without included 
veinlets; sori indefinite, appear at first ina medial band along veinlets between main 
veins, finally confluent over the entire under surface. 
Hongkong: Harland (type); Wilford 316; G. G. Matthew, March 25, 1997; Hance 94; 
Forbes 581. 
Kwangtung: North River, C. Ford, May 26, 1888 (f. simplex); Lungtau Mt., C. 0. 
Levine 1949 (type of Tectaris dictyosora Cop.); Kochow, Y. Tstang 2752 (type of H. dis- 
tincti petiolata Ching); Swatow, Thai-yong, Dalziel; Tei-loy, Matthew, Nov. 25, 1997; 
Ting Wu Shan, S. P. Ko 50544; S. Y. Lau 20246; Namhoi, Sai Chiu Shan, S. P. Ko 51536. 
Hainan Island: H. Y. Liang 64687, 63457; Rev. A. G. Henry 86B (type of Polypodiwm 
dimorphum Baker). 
Formosa: Tamsui, Hancock 47; Jutsugetsutan 370, Oct. 2. 1929. 
Annam: Cadier 62 (type of Gymnopteris Bont Christ). 
The species represents type of the genus Hemigramma Copeland now comprising 4 
or 5 species in the warm parts of Asia and Polynesia. Asa genus, which is closely related 
to Bolbitis Schott, Hemigramma is characterized by thick short woody rhizome, tectarid 
type of scale and venation, dimorphous leaves with strongly contracted fertile ones and 
indefinite sori. 
A variable fern as to the degree of pinnation, Gymnopteris Boni Christ differs in 
frond having 2-3 pairs of lateral pine, of which the lower 1-2 pairs not decurrent along 
stipe and rachis, but sessile or short-petiolate in basal pairs. H. distincti petiolata Ching, 
based upon Y. Tsiang‘s No. 2782 from southwestern part of Kwangtung, proves to be the 
same, as represented by our plate. 
Plate 185. Fig. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. Portion of sterile frond, showing venation 
(x 4). 3. Portion of fertile frond, showing venation and position of sori (x 4). 4. Scales from base of 
“stipe (x 8). 5. Cross section of rhizome, showing arrangement of steles (x Io). 
