棕鳞耳蕨 zong lin er jue

Aspidium polyblepharum Roemer ex Kunze, Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 6: 572. 1848; A. aculeatum (Linnaeus) Swartz var. japonicum Franchet & Savatier; Polystichum aculeatum (Linnaeus) Roth ex Mertens var. japonicum (Franchet & Savatier) Diels.

Plants evergreen. Rhizome erect or ascending, short, densely covered with linear grayish brown scales. Fronds 40-80 cm; stipe yellowish brown, 14-22 cm, 4-5 mm in diam. at base, densely covered with linear, lanceolate, grayish brown scales and larger scales; large scales ovate-lanceolate and broadly lanceolate, up to 20 × 7 mm, with few irregular teeth, caudate. Lamina bipinnate, broadly elliptic-lanceolate, 37-70 × 15-20 cm at middle, not or slightly contracted toward base, lower part sterile or not, apex acuminate, fertile; rachis without proliferous bulbils, abaxially densely covered with linear grayish brown scales and larger scales; large scales shiny, narrowly lanceolate, up to 12 × 2.5 mm, toothed, acuminate. Pinnae 20-26 pairs, alternate, slightly ascendant, shortly stalked, lanceolate, gradually contracted toward base, bases asymmetrical, apices acuminate; middle pinnae 7-10 × 1.4-2.2 cm, 1-pinnate; costa adaxially sulcate, abaxially densely covered with linear grayish brown scales. Pinnules 15-20 pairs, alternate, shortly stalked, oblong, 1-2 × 0.5-0.75 cm, bases cuneate and decurrent at tip, acroscopic margins repand or subentire, with rounded auricles, basiscopic margins long spinulose, apices acute with acute tips; basal acroscopic pinnules largest, deeply incised; microscales long filiform, abaxially dense, adaxially sparse; frond texture papery; venation pinnate, lateral veins 4-6 pairs, dichotomous, distinct. Sori 3-7 pairs per pinnule, in 1 row on each side of midrib, close to margins or medial, terminal or nearly terminal on veinlets; indusia present, subentire. 2n = 164.

Forests in montane valleys; 100-400 m. Jiangsu (Yixing), Zhejiang (Putuo Shan, Tiantai Shan) [Japan, Korea].

Polystichum polyblepharum has broadly elliptic-lanceolate laminae and grayish brown stipe scales; its large rachis scales are narrowly lanceolate, acuminate apically, and grayish brown, and its sori are medial or nearly marginal.