Hypolepis dicksonioides

Detailed description

Rhizome long-creeping, (3)–4–8 mm diam., densely covered in pale brown hairs near growing apex, more scattered and becoming red-brown elsewhere, giving rise to stipes at intervals of 1.0–2.8 m. Stipes (0.15)–0.2–1.0 m long, (2)–5–15 mm diam., red-brown at base, becoming pale red-brown or yellow-brown above, bearing red-brown hairs at very base, soon replaced by colourless glandular and eglandular hairs (up to 5 mm long on uncoiling fronds); two dark, prominent, vertical bands on opposite sides of stipe. Laminae broadly ovate or elliptic (0.02)–0.035–1.35 × (0.015)–0.035–1.1 m, bipinnate at apex, 4 or 5-pinnate at base. Rachis yellow-brown at base, green at apex, bearing colourless glandular and eglandular hairs (up to 3 mm long). Primary pinnae in 15–30 pairs, opposite or subopposite, lower pair arising at 3–50° to stem; longest pair below middle, usually basal, (110)–200–700 × (70)–140–450 mm; lowest ones (50)–100–400 mm apart, middle ones 2–5 mm apart; upper ones narrowly ovate, lower ones ovate. Secondary pinnae ovate, (45)–70–300 × 30–150 mm, those on the lower pinnae decreasing markedly in length along the pinnae. Tertiary pinnae ovate, (16)–20–80 × (7)–10–35 mm, midrib winged. Quaternary pinnae narrowly ovate, 7–16 × 2–6 mm, shallowly incised on smaller specimens, divided into 4–5 pairs of ultimate segments on larger specimens. Veins reaching margin at a tooth apex, or sometimes ending just short of margin. Hairs: colourless glandular and eglandular hairs on midribs and veins of both lamina j surfaces but absent from margins, 0.3–1.5 mm long. Sori on upper margin of each ultimate segment, situated at vein endings, protected by obvious reflexed flaps (green at base, membranous at apex, incised); protected from earliest stages. Spores pale brown, echinate.