角状耳蕨 jiao zhuang er jue

Polypodium alcicorne Baker, J. Bot. 26: 229. 1888; Aspidium alcicorne (Baker) Christ.

Plants evergreen. Rhizome ascending, short, rhizome apex and from stipe to rachis densely scaly; scales brown, ovate or broadly ovate, often appressed, membranous, margins fimbriate. Fronds 30-60 cm; stipe stramineous, 7-30 cm, 1-2 mm in diam. Lamina tri- to tetrapinnatilobate, green when fresh and dry, darker adaxially, narrowly ovate, 18-35 × 6-12 cm, base not or slightly contracted, apex shortly pinnatifid-acuminate; rachis stramineous, without proliferous bulbils, with numerous membranous scales abaxially; scales brown, appressed, broadly ovate, erose. Pinnae 18-25 pairs, ascendant, falcate-lanceolate, 2-7 × 1-3 cm, broadly cuneate, shortly stalked or sessile, shortly acuminate; costa green, with gradually narrowed wings from apex to base on both sides reaching below middle of pinnae, abaxially sparsely scaly, scales similar to rachis scales but smaller. Pinnules 6-10 pairs, slightly ascendant, oblong-ovate, 5-15 × 2-8 mm, bases cuneate and decurrent forming narrowly winged short stalk, pinnatipartite or pinnate forming 2-5 pairs of oblong-ovate or obovate lobes, apices acute; basal acroscopic pinnules largest and often parallel to rachis; basal basiscopic lobes largest, dichotomously lobed or shallowly lobed or pinnatipartite and forming 2 pairs of secondary lobules, other lobes ± tri- or dichotomously lobed or not lobed, rarely second lobes of acroscopic base deeply lobed and forming 2 pairs of secondary lobules; sometimes basal acroscopic secondary lobules further lobed and forming 2 "lobulettes" in equal or unequal lengths; secondary lobules and apical lobules of pinnules lanceolate or oblanceolate, apex acute, with 1 veinlet per lobule not reaching lobule apex; abaxially sparsely scaly along veins; microscales brown, narrowly lanceolate; frond texture papery. Sori small, terminal on veinlets, exindusiate.

● Wet limestone crevices in montane broad-leaved evergreen forests; 600-1000 m. Chongqing (Jinfo Shan), NE Guizhou (Dejiang, Sinan, Yanhe), Sichuan (Emei Shan).