Lepisorus contortus

Lepisorus contortus (Christ) Ching, Bull. Fan Mem. Inst. Biol. 4: 90 (1933) (syn: Lepisorus amaurolepidus (Sledge) Bir & Trikha ; Lepisorus crassirhizoma Ching & Z.Y.Liu ; Lepisorus elegans Ching & W.M.Chu ; Lepisorus heterolepis (Rosenst.) Ching ; Lepisorus jinfoshanensis Ching ; Lepisorus khullarii P.C.Pande & H.C.Pande ; Lepisorus lineariformis Ching & S.K.Wu ; Lepisorus nyalamensis Ching & S.K.Wu ; Pleopeltis amaurolepida Sledge ; Pleopeltis heterolepis (Rosenst.) Tagawa & K.Iwats. ; Polypodium heterolepis (Rosenst.) C.Chr. ; Polypodium lineare var. heterolepis Rosenst. ; Polypodium loriforme var. heterolepis (Rosenst.) C.Chr. ; Pleopeltis contorta (Christ) Alston & Bonner ; Polypodium contortum (Christ) Christ ; Polypodium lineare f. contortum (Christ) Takeda ; Polypodium lineare var. contortum Christ ; Polypodium thunbergianum var. contortum (Christ) C.Chr. );
.
Indian Subcontinent to China, Taiwan: Assam, Bangladesh, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, West Himalaya as per POWO;

S-India, Sri Lanka as per Catalogue of Life;
.

---

Epiphytic or lithophytic herb with short creeping rhizome, up to 3 mm thick, densely covered by scales; scales peltate, about 2 x 0.75 mm, distinctly bicolourous, dark brown with thick walled cells at the centre, pale brown with thin walled cells towards periphery apex acuminate, margin dentate. Stipes crowded, up to 5 mm apart, up to 1 x 0.15 cm, pale or grey-brown when dry, rounded abaxially, grooved adaxially, scaly at the very base, glabrous above. Laminae simple, elliptic-lanceolate, up to 21 x 2 cm, progressively narrowing from the middle towards base and apex base narrowly cuneate and decurrent, apex usually acute or acuminate, rarely subacute, margin entire; midrib slightly raised and rounded both above and below, veins immersed, indistinct above and below; texture herbaceous to chartaceous. Sori superficial, probably one per primary areole, arranged in two rows, medianlt on either side of the midrib usually towards the distal half of the frond, hemispherical, up to 4 mm in diameter, spores monolete, planoconvex or ellipsoid, pale green, exine with dense, small outgrowths.

(Attributions- K. P. Rajesh from India Biodiversity Portal)
.

---

Fern Herbarium SN13420 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1)- 4 mb.
Wild epiphytic fern from Western Ghats
Lepisorus aurolepidus.

---

Yes, I agree it is Lepisorus amaurolepidus – but in my opinion that name is a synonym of L. contortus. For Lepisorus we need to see close-up photos of the rhizome-scales (often visible better towards the growing tip of the rhizome). They have a central reddish-brown solid stripe in L.  contortus. But anyhow the closely buched fronds and shortish rhizome are not like the well-separated ones of the only other South Indian species, L. nudus, which has a longer rhizome and concolorous brown scales.

---