ICONES FILICUM SINICARUM 
PLATE 242 
POLYSTICHUM BIFIDUM Ching 
ASPIDIACEZ 
POLYSTICHUM BIFIDUM Ching, sp. nov. 
Species gregis Polystichi Martinii Christ, differt majore, stipitibus squamis fere carentibus, pinnis late- 
ralibus longioribus, augustioribusque, falcatis, basi anteriore auriculis majoribus, deltoideis rectis praeditis 
et segmentis pinnarum utraque costae latere plerumque bifidis. 
Rhizome short, erect, densely radicose; fronds caespitose, stipe 13-15 cm long, stramineous-brown, quite 
glabrous except the base which is clothed with ovate-lanceolate, acuminate scales, lamina 22-30 cm long, 4 
cm broad, broadly lanceolate, acuminate, not narrowed towards base, pinnate; pinnae 30-40 pairs, close, 
patent, 2 cm long, 6 mm broad above the base, subfalcate, apex acute, or acutish, mucronate, base very 
unequal, cuneate below, truncate above and provided with a prominent, deltoid, sharply serrate auricle re- 
gularly lobato-incised 1/3-1/2 down into 6-7 usually unequally bifid and mucronate segments on the upper 
side, 45 longer segments beneath, of which the lowest 2 entire and like the others incurved; texture her- 
baceous, dry green, glabrous; veins 7-8-jugate, the anterior basal one pinnate, the others forked, the upper- 
most and the posterior basal two simple, distinct below; sori small, medial, one to each segment except the 
lower 4-5 below, terminal on the anterior veinlet of each group, indusium large, round, entire, falling off 
soon, 
Southeastern Yunnan: Ping-pien Hsien, H. T. Tsai 62760, July 18, 1934, on rocks in forest, alt. 1500 m. 
Plate 242. 1. Habit sketch (natural size). 2. Pinna, showing venation and sori (X 4). 3. Scale from the 
base of stipe (X 30). 4-5. Sporangium with spores (X 100). 
