Dicranopteris lanigera

Dicranopteris lanigera Fraser-Jenk., Taxon. Revis. Indian Subcontinental Pteridophytes 35 2008 (Syn: Diplopterygium lanigerum (D.Don) Nakai ; Gleichenia lanigera D.Don ; Sticherus laniger (D.Don) C.Presl ; Dicranopteris linearis var. hirta S.Kaur & Punetha; Dicranopteris linearis var. wattii Panigrahi & R.D.Dixit );
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Himalaya to Taiwan: Assam, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Myanmar, Nepal, Taiwan, West Himalaya as POWO;
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Attached images may be Dicranopteris linearis (Burm. f.) Underw.[ Gleichenia linearis (Burm. f.) C.B. Clarke].
Please ID the plant.
Date :30.12.2013
Location: Assam
Family : Gleicheniaceae
Genus & species : Dicranopteris linearis (Burm. f.) Underw. (?)
Habitat: Grows wild on hill slopes
Habit : Herb

This is Dicranopteris lanigera (D.Don) Fraser-Jenk., which is much commoner than D. linearis in north India.

Could I mention my concern about the level of knowledge about the state of modern Indian pteridology displayed by the E-Flora? I have looked at the E Flora of India page indicated re Dicranopteris – and am worried to see a great confusion of wild guesses and complete lack of knowledge of the standard modern literature re Indian Ferns. Why do these correspondents flounder around with hardly a clue what they are talking about when there is a considerable number of competent and knowledgeable pteridologists in India, and others nearby who are well known there? It is seriously important that this website tries to help people by pointing out the literature available and keeping in touch with the wealth of modern taxonomic work on Indian pteridophytes.

For example several different species have been given by somebody as synonyms of Dicranopteris linearis when they are well known in Indian fern literature to be distinct – other travellers guess it is a Nephrolepis and all sorts of vague and general nonsense guesses appear there. But all could have been solved by reference to some standard works which apparently no-one seems to know about.
I am thinking in particular of Prof. S.P. Khullar’s Illustrated Fern Flora of the West Himalaya, Dixit’s Census List of Indian pteridophytes, Kholia’s Ferns of Sikkim (illustrated) and while it is embarrassing to have to blow my own trumpet, Fraser-Jenkins’, Taxonomic Revision of 300 Indian subcontinental Pteridophytes with a Revised Census List (illustrated). Members and contributors really have to know about these books if they are to identify or comment on Indian pteridophytes. Of course there are a lot of other books, including Sarnam Singh & Panigrahi’s Ferns of [a small part of] Arunachal Pradesh, and Ghosh et al.’s Pteridophytees of Eastern India 1, but they are full of errors and mistaken new species, so need great care and background knowledge to work with, though Singh’s has very nice illustrations but under many strange names. But apparently no-one on the e-Flora site seems to know accurately about the literature, nor about the species.
I have put my book, Tax. Rev. 300 onto the Indian-Fern website to try to make it available as I had intended when writing it – so at least anyone can see that, and the forthcoming new Census List will also be on the internet. If people would like to know more about the taxonomy of Indian ferns at least they can see the Tax. Rev. 300 book by joining the Indian-Ferns group (free) – find it on www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Indian-Ferns – then click on Files and find book. It will at least put people in touch with the complexities of modern Indian Fern Taxonomy, and the references therein will be useful, as also the photos.
I cannot post this information onto the E-Flora, so would be grateful if … would kindly do so to try to put more people in touch about ferns.

Thanks, … for your comments. I agree with you regarding lack of knowldge of ferns in our e-group except for assistance from you & to some extent… That’s why so many guesses are being made before final Id is determined by you or say by … Efloraofindia group has a membership of more than 2200 with members from diverse background & members may through up guesses as per knowledge level/ acquaintance of ferns, if any. I hope more participation from experts in future may provide better inputs in this matter. If you agree, contents from Indian Fern group may also added to efloraofindia website with a copy marked to you for any corrections you feel like. That may certainly lead to better & correct contents in future on Indian Ferns.
As regards synonyms these have been taken from the latest list available at that time The Plant List (2010).

Other sources which are available are
GRIN (updated in 1999)
Tropicos (seems to be updated upto 2013), but I don’t know whether it will stand your scrutiny or not.
As I have access to these online resources, pl. let me know which will be better to follow (for synonymy) as far as ferns are concerned.
If you agree I can put your book Tax. Rev. 300 on Efloraofindia website under File Section for better visibility to the members.

Thanks, Yes of course you may access the Indian-Ferns group and copy anything.
I’m afraid compilation trawl works like the Plant List are hardly serious works – they have no knowledge of the subject and are not aware of taxonomic revision – as their primitive synonymy shows. I never refer to them, but to genuine original taxonomic studies. Latest – but years out of date – a sort of pseudo-scientific list!

P.S. Tropicos and IPNI have a different function and are proper Indexes – but do not judge synonyms – it is not their purpose.

May be D.lanigera ??? instead of D linearis
Hairs are more prominent, and pictures are over exposed hence the glocousness is not recognisable exactly

 

 

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References:

POWO  The Plant List Ver.1.1 (Unresolved)  IPNI 

Contribution to the pteridophytic flora of India: Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, Meghalaya by Bikarma Singh 1, V.N. Singh 2, S.J. Phukan 3, B.K. Sinha 4 & S.K. Borthakur 5 JoTT Communication 4(1): 2277–2294 Date of publication (online): 26 January 2012 (pdf- 2 MB) 

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