Tectaria coadunata (J.Sm.) C.Chr.

Dryopteridaceae, JP Roux, M Shaffer-Fehre, B Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2007

Type

Nepal, Wallich 377 (K-Wall.!)

Habit

Terrestrial.

Rhizomes

Rhizome erect, to 20 cm high, covered in scales (not seen in East African material)

Leaves

Fronds tufted, dimorphic, to 1.5 m long.

Stipes

Stipe straw-coloured, later mahogany-coloured, to 70 cm long, near base with dark brown ovate scales 1–10 × 0.4–2 mm, acuminate, with paler margins, stipe near apex with multicellular glandular trichomes ± 0.3 mm long.

Pinnae

Pinnae in 6–8 pairs, the lowermost to 42 × 27 cm and longest, with stalks of 1.5–3 cm, others much shorter and gradually adnate to rachis by basiscopic half; basal pinnules largest, to 16 cm, with basiscopic part of pinna broader, basal few pinnules free, other pinnules joined by a continuous wing; ± straight free veinlets in central areoles, absent along costae.

Leaf lamina

Lamina with some hairs near margin plus glandular trichomes to 0.4 mm restricted to in and near sinus, and each areole with a single trichome to 0.3 mm; sori almost marginal, 1–2 mm in diameter. Lamina mid- to dark green, subcoriaceous, sterile lamina deltoid in outline, to 68 × 64 cm, the fertile lamina almost lanceolate above the wide basal pinnae, 50–108 × 43–84 cm, 3-pinnatisect.

Indusium

Indusium round, persistent, sometimes flabellate

Figures

Figure 1: 1-7, figure 2:1

Ecology

Moist forest; 1000–1900 m

Conservation

Widespread; least concern (LC)

Note

Blunt-rounded lobes of the decurrent lamina fill gaps between tissues of blade before the lamina expands; probably an adaptation to support increased photosynthesis in the deep shade of the plant’s habitat.

Distribution

Flora districts: U2 K4 K6 T6 Range: SW China, NE India, Thailand, Malaysia