ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 
PLATE 240 
POLYSTICHUM LANCEOLATUM (Baker) Diels 
ASPIDIACEZ 
POLYSTICHUM LANCEOLATUM (Baker) Diels in Engl. Jahrb. 29: 193. 1900; C. Chr. Ind. Fil. 
583. 1905. 
Aspidium_lanceolatum Baker in Gard. Chron. n. s. 14: 494. 1880. 
Polystichum parvulum Christ in Bull. Acad. Géogr. Bot. Mans 14: 114. cum fig. 1904. 
Polystichum nanum Christ in Bull. Acad. Géogr. Bot. Mans 16: 238. 1906. 
Rhizome short, erect, very densely radicose, densely clothed at the apex with dark brown, ovate acu- 
minate, small scales; fronds tufted, numerous together, often forming a rosette on dry rocks with roots 
penetrating deep into the crevices, stipe short, 1-3 cm long, rufo-stramineous, sparsely scaly, lamina generally 
5-8 cm long, 8-12 mm broad, linear-lanceolate, acuminate or often obtusish at apex, hardly narrowed to- 
wards the base, pinnate; pinnae 7-20 pairs, pectinate or confert, petiolulate, patent, subquadrangular to 
thombic, 3-5 mm long, 2-4 mm broad, entire and straight on the lower side, the upper and outer margins 
provided with a few relatively large, deltoid, spreading long-spiny and pungent teeth, anterior base hardly 
auricled; zexture subcoriaceous, both sides glabrous and lustrous especially on the upper side, dry brown or 
brownish-green; veins few, simple except the anterior basal 1 or 2 which are forked, quite distinct on both 
sides; sori small, few, 2-3 on the upperside of the costa, supra-medial, indusium large, round, entire, soon 
falling off. 
Western Hupeh: Ichang Gorge, Maries (type); Ko-chen Hsien, H. C. Chow 4067, Oct. 20, 1935. Sze- 
chuan: Mt. Omei, on the way to Chou-lou-tung from Han-chen-ping, R. C. Ching 168, 170, on dry lime- 
stone cliff, alt. 900-1600 m.; S. C. Chen 30045; E. H. Wilson 5384; Pie-tan-ng-tze, S. C. Chen 30094. Kwei- 
chow: Tsin-gay, Cavalerie 1234 (type of P. parvulum Christ); Gan-chow, Bodinier 312, 3797, 4152; Pin-fa, 
Cavalerie 1945 (type of P. nanum Christ), Nov. 2; Yunfan-shan, Tuyun, Y. Tstang 5953, on moist lime- 
stone cliff, July 20, 1930. Hunan: Yung-sai Hsien, Ecological Survey Party of Bot, Inst., Academia Sinica 
No. 586, on limestone cliff, Aug. 18, 1953. 
A very- distinct small xerophytic fern endemic in the limestone region. P. parvulum Christ proves 
the same, while P. nanum Christ represents a still smaller form with fronds to 4 cm long, 9 mm broad, 
consisting of only 6-7 pairs of subimbricating pinnae, 4 mm long, 3.5 mm broad with a few spreading long 
spiny teeth, 
One of the smallest species of the genus, not easily confounded with any other species except the less 
divided form of P. Martini Christ, which differs, however, in the larger size and at least lobato-incised 
pinnae with free anterior auricle. It often grows in the crevices of limestone cliff with little moisture from the 
rain, where the plant becomes stunted and spreads out in a rosette, 
Plate 240. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. Pinna, showing venation and sori (X 10). 3-4. Scales from 
the base of stipe (X 50). 5-6. Sporangium with spores (X 100). 
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