Athyrium, lady fern

Athyrium tripinnatum Tagawa in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 6: 162-163. 1937.

Athyrium takeoi Tagawa in Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 2. 195 (1932), excl. syn.
Nom. Jap. Hosozake-yamainuwarabi, nom. nov.
Hab. Formosa.
Prov. Tainan: inter Numanohira et Tataka (mt. Arisan) (M. Tagawa, 398! HT: KYO;IT: L);
Arisan 2500 m. (U. Faurie, 569, 571! June 1914);

　　Iwaiyama, Arisan (J. Ohwi, 3499, 3501, 3503! July 14, 1933).

　　Liu’s Note: Alishan, Chaoping to Tatachia (highway 18 79K to 95K)
Prov. Taihoku: piyanan-anbu (N. Fukuyama, 4004! July 14, 1933);

　　between Kyanrawa and Sikikun (J. Ohwi! May 27, 1933);

　　between Mt. Taihei-zan and Kyanrawa (J. Ohwi, 2339! May 26, 1933).

　　Liu’s Note: all around to Siyuanyako

Fronds are very variable in size. The above description is drawn from a well developed larger specimen. In smaller specimens stipe 20 cm. long, lamina 25 cm. long by 15 cm. broad, lower pinnae 10 cm. long by 2 cm. broad and 2-3 cm. apart with each other, the basal anterior pinnules not more than 2 cm. long, 8 mm. broad.

Our new species is very near to Athyrium foliolosum (Wall.) Moore from North India and South-west
China, but differs from Beddome’s description and figures of A. foliolosum in the shape of pinnules. In our species the basal anterior pinnae of second and third order are the largest, but not elongated, while in A. foliolosum they are elongated and often double the size of the other. According to Beddome’s figure the secondary pinnae of A. foliolosum are cut away at the base on lower side. But pinnules of our species are broadly cuneate at the base. Formosan specimens leg. U. Faurie, referred to A. takeoi (Hayata) Tagawa by me, belong to this species.

Liu’s Note: A. takeoi (Hayata) Tagawa should be synonym of A. dreapanopterum, and A. foliolosum here, should be A. fimbriatum. A. foliolosum and A. fimbriatum both are members of section Polystichoids and the obviously morphology is enlarged or enlongated anterior pinnules on the base of pinnae; and the perispore also different to others in the genus Athyrium.