蒙自拟水龙骨 meng zi ni shui long gu

Polypodium mengtzeense Christ, Bull. Herb. Boissier 6: 869. 1898; Goniophlebium mengtzeense (Christ) Rödl-Linder; Marginaria taiwaniana (Hayata) Nakai ex H. Itô; Polypodiastrum taiwanianum (Hayata) Ching; Polypodium argutum Wallich ex Hooker f. khasianum C. B. Clarke; P. argutum var. mengtzeense (Christ) Christ; P. aspersum Baker; P. taiwanianum Hayata.

Rhizome long creeping, 4-5 mm in diam., covered with whitish bloom and sparse scales; scales dark brown, ovate-lanceolate, peltate at broad base, irregularly toothed at margin, acuminate at apex. Fronds remote. Stipe pale straw-colored, 10-20 cm, scaly at base, glabrous upward. Lamina ovate-lanceolate, pinnate with distinct terminal pinna, 50-70 × 15-20 cm. Lateral pinnae 15-25 pairs, subopposite, sessile, lanceolate, 10-15 × 1.5-2 cm, base obliquely cordate, ± rounded auriculate, overlapping rachis, margin serrate, apex acuminate. Veins anastomosing to form 1 or 2 rows of areoles on each side of costa, each costal areole containing a simple free veinlet, other veinlets free, ending inside margin of teeth. Lamina herbaceous, yellowish green, glabrous on both surfaces except sparsely scaly on abaxial side of rachis and costa. Sori orbicular, in 1 row on each side of costa, terminal on included veinlets, medial or slightly closer to costa.

Epiphytic on tree trunks or on rocks; 1500-2500 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Taiwan, Yunnan [NE India, Laos, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

Material of this species (Polypodiastrum mengtzeense) was treated by Wu (Sunyatsenia 3: 266, pl. 124. 1932) as Polypodium argutum Wallich ex Hooker.