ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 
PEATE 201 
PSEUDODRYNARIA CORONANS (Wallich) Ching 
POLYPODIACEZ 
PSEUDODRYNARIA CORONANS (Wallich) Ching in Sunyatsenia 5: 357. 1940; 6: 10. 1941; 
Copel. Gen. Fil. 201. 1947. 
Polypodium coronans Wall. List n. 288. 1828 (nom. nud.); Hook. Exotic Ferns t. 95. 1857; Mett. Farngatt, 
Polyp. 121 n. 242 t. 3, f. 40, 41. 1857; Benth. Fl. Hongk. 459. 1861; Christ, Farnkr. d. Erde 117. 
1898; Diels in Engl. u. Prante, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1: iv. 319. 1899; C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 518. 1905; Merr. 
Enum. Hainan Pl. in Lingnan Sci. Journ. 5: 17. 1927; Wu, Wong et Pong, Polyp. Yaoshan. in Bull. Dept. 
Biol. Sunyatshan Univ. No. 3: 304 t. 141. 1932. 
Phymatodes coronans Presl, Tent. Pterid. 198. 1836 (nom. nud.). 
Drynaria coronans J. Sm. in Hook. Journ. Bot. 4: 61. 1841 (nom. nud.). 
Aglaomorpha coronans Copel. in Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 16: 117. 1929. 
Polypodium conjugatum Bak. in Hook. & Bak. Syn. Fil. 366. 1868 (non Poir. 1804); Dunn & Tutcher, Fl. 
Kwangt. and Hongk. 352. 1912. 
Drynaria conjugata Bedd. Ferns Brit. Ind. Correction, 1870. 
Drynaria Esquirolii C. Chr. in Bull. Acad. Géogr. Bot. Mans 13: 139. 1913. 
A large and strong epiphyte. Rhizome creeping, thick, fleshy, stout, and interwoven, covered by dense, 
shaggy, dark ferruginous, long linear-subulate scales with ciliate margin and intermixed with wiry and hairy 
roots, holding tortuous branches of the rhizome together and thus forming a large cushion-like mass, from 
which arises, in a perfect circle, a tall crown of sessile stiffy coriaceous fronds after the manner of 
Neottopteris Nidus (L.) J. Sm. Fronds monomorphous, 80-120 cm or even longer, 20-30 cm broad at the 
middle, oblong-oblanceolate, acuminate, gradually narrowed downwards to about 2/3 way down, thence 
again expanding gradually towards the dilated broad, rounded and cordate base, 15-25 cm across with 
broadly sinuate or shallowly lobed margin, above which the whole leaves are deeply pinnatifid and further 
up almost down to the rachis with numerous segments, of which the middle ones 15-22 cm long, 23.5 cm 
broad, oblique, separated by round sinuses, lanceolate from the broadened base, gradually acuminate 
with entire thickened margin throughout, the lower ones gradually shortened, cut down less and less deep 
with acute or rounded apex and separated by round broad sinuses; zexture stiffly coriaceous, glabrous, glossy 
and firm when dried and all segments become detached from the strong, brown and shining rachis; 
venation distrinct and conspicuous beneath, the primary veins in the segments patent, oblique, quite straight, 
prominent, reaching the thickened margin, the secondary veins transverse with the primary veins and 
form the primary areolae, which are 4-angled and are again divided at right angles and their areolae are 
occupied by the ultimate divaricate veinlets with clavate apex; sori compital, confined to the upper half 
of the frond, its lower half being sterile, 446 between the primary veins, not exactly medial (but nearer 
to the lower vein), one in each primary areole forming a single row between the costa and margin, sub- 
globose or oblong, and upon maturity often more or iess confluent in a continuous line ; spores bilateral, 
reniform-oblong, smooth, hyaline. 
_ In China numerous specimens have been collected from the south and southwestern Provinces includ- 
ing Yunnan, Kwangsi, Kweichow, Kwangtung, Hainan, Taiwan and also Hongkong. Also common in 
Northern India (subtropical regions), Burma, Thailand, Indo-China and Malacca. 
The present fern is the sole species of the genus Pseudodrynaria Ching and a majestic and beautiful 
epiphyte, endemic in the subtropics of the Asiatic mainland extending southwards to Malacca. It 
inhabits monsoon forests, epiphytic on tree trunks or large rocks by stream side. Highly recommanded 
for greenhouse culture and conservatories, 
Plate 201. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. Portion of fertile segment, showing venation and sori (X 4). 
3. The same, enlarged. 4. Scale from the rhizome (X 10). 5-6. Sporangium with spores (X 100). 
