毛叶蹄盖蕨 mao ye ti gai jue

Athyrium muliense Ching.

Rhizomes erect, apex densely scaly; scales brown, linear-lanceolate, fibriform-tipped, but scales above base of stipe often broadly lanceolate, chestnut-colored in central part, brown in marginal part. Fronds caespitose; fertile fronds 60-88 cm; stipe blackish brown, upward brown-stramineous, 20-45 cm, 4-6 mm in diam. at base, base similarly scaly, upward glabrate; lamina 2-pinnate, ovate-oblong, 30-35 × 20-25 cm at base, base ± rounded, apex acuminate; pinnae ca. 16 pairs, lower pinnae opposite, upper pinnae alternate, subspreading or falcate, sessile; basal pinnae almost equal to upper pinnae, lanceolate, 11-13 × 2.5-3.5 cm, base narrowed, equilateral, truncate, pinnate, apex acuminate; pinnules ca. 20 pairs, basal pinnules opposite, upper pinnules alternate, spreading, approximate; lower pinnules oblong, 1.2-1.5 cm × 5-6 mm at base, gradually narrowed to pointed toothed tip, base rounded-truncate, subequilateral, pinnatifid; pinnule segments 7 or 8 pairs, oblong, ca. 3 × 1.5 mm, apex acute and toothed; veins protuberant abaxially, visible adaxially, pinnate in segments, lateral veins 2-4 pairs, oblique, simple. Lamina herbaceous when dried, yellowish brown, with sparse pallid short hairs adaxially, glabrate abaxially; rachis and costae brownish stramineous, with dense short hairs abaxially, with subulate spines on adaxial side at base of costa or costule. Sori mostly oblong, sometimes J-shaped, 5-8 pairs per pinnule, inframedial on basal acroscopic veins, often 3-5 on lower segments; indusia brownish, oblong, sometimes J-shaped, membranous, erose at margin, persistent. Perispore surface without folds, with granular ornamentation.

● Coniferous forests in valleys; 2800-3500 m. Sichuan, NW Yunnan.