ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 
PLATE 109 
ATHYRIUM OTOPHORUM (Miq.) Koidzumi 
POLY PODIACEZZ 
ATHYRIUM OTOPHORUM (Miq.) Koidzumi, Fl. Symb. Orient. Asiat. 40 (1930);C. Chr. 
Ind. Fil. Suppl. III. 43 (1934). 
Asplenium otophorum Mig. Ann. Lugd. Bat. 3: 175 (1867); Franch. et Sav. Enum. PI. Jap 2: 
229 (1877). 
Diplazium otophorum C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 236 (1905). 
Athyrium violascens Diels in Engl. Jahrb. 29: 196 (1900); C. Chr. Acta Hort. Gothob. 1: 76 
(1924). 
Athyrium Wardii Christ (non Makino, 1857), Bull. Soc. Bot. France 52: Mém. r. 49 (1905). 
Athyrium nigripes Christ (non Moore, 1857), Bull. Acad. Géogr. Bot. (1909) 174; C. Chr. Acta 
Hort. Gothob. 1: 76 (1924). 
Rhizome oblique, densely scaly; saales blackish or dark brown, linear-lanceo- 
late, extending upwards some distance above the base of stipe; fronds ceespitose, 
stipe 25-30 cm long, 3 mm thick above the base, stramineo-rufescent, naked, lamina 
30-35 cm long, 20-25 cm broad, bipinnate; lateral pinne 10-jugate below the cau- 
dato-acuminate pinnatifid apical part, very shortly petiolate with truncate base, 
elongate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, the basal ones only slightly shorter than those 
next above and decidedly narrowed towards the base, 7.e. the basal pair of pinnules 
reduced, 10-12 cm long, 2.5-4 cm broad at the middle, rachilet straminous, glossy, 
shaded purplish, particularly towards the base, which is subglabrous with short, 
sparce glandular hairs and provided with appressed spines on the upper side; pin- 
nules 14-17-jugate under the long-acuminate pinnatifid apex, 1.3-2.5 cm long, del- 
toid, acute or shortly acuminate, base strongly unequal, 7.e. deltoidly auriculated 
above, obliquely cuneate below, with straight anterior side, sessile, rather regular- 
ly serrate with short, cuspidate teeth; vezns distinct, forked, or pinnate in the au- 
ricle; tevture rigidulously herbaceous, glabrous, except the rachis which is shortly 
glandular hairy above; sori elongate, oblique to costule, zndusiwm membranaceous, 
brownish-gray. 
Kweichow: Pin-fa, Cavalerie 2600, 544; Kwei-yang, Bodinier 2008; Ganchow, 
Cavalerie 3769; Sanhoa, Y. Tsiang 6414, 6448; Chengfeng, Y. Tstang 4568; Tuyun, 
Y. Tsiang 5810. Hupeh: Henry 5163. Szechwan: Mt. Omei, W. P. Fang 2762, 3119; 
Nanchuan, Rosthorn 1752 (type of A. violascens); W. P. Fang 5709; Kuan Hsien, 
W. P. Fang 2161; Harry Smith 4888; Tchen-kou-tin, Farges 245. Anhwei: Hwang 
Shan, S. S. Chien 1235. Kwangtung: North River, C. L. Tso 20681. 
Japan: C. G. Matthew 241 (1903), forma typica. 
Type from Japan, now found to be a common fern throughout the Yangtze 
valley. Authors on Chinese ferns have generally considered this identical with 
Athyrium nigripes (Bl.) Moore of Malesia-Polynesia, with which our fern has, in 
fact, nothing to do at all. The present species constitutes the type for the group of 
about ten closely related members in West China and North-western India, and 
holds an intermediate position between A. Mackinnoni (Hope). and A. mengtzeense 
Hieron. of the same region. The Japanese A. rigescens Makino appears hardly dis- 
tinct from our fern (Cf. Ogata, Ic. Fil. Jap. Bets 210): 
Plate 109. Fig. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. Pinnule (x 7). 3. Scale from the base of 
stipe (x 20). 
