THAI FOR. BULL. (BOT.) 40: 14–16. 2012. Actinostachys wagneri (Schizaeaceae), a new record for Thailand STUART LINDSAY*, THAMARAT PHUTTHAI**, KITICHATE SRIDITH***, SAHUT CHANTANAORRAPINT*** & DAVID J. MIDDLETON* ABSTRACT.Actinostachys wagneri (Selling) C.F.Reed, a new record for Thailand, is described and illustrated. KEY WORDS: Actinostachys, Schizaeaceae, fern, Thailand. INTRODUCTION sporangia mostly in 2 rows (vs. sporangia mostly in 4 rows), and long soral paraphyses between spo- Actinostachys Wall. ex Hook. is a small pan- rangia (vs. no soral paraphyses). tropical genus of ferns with about 20 species. For most of its history the genus has been included within Schizaea Sm., but in recent literature the Actinostachys wagneri (Selling) C.F.Reed, Bol. genera have been treated as distinct (Smith et al., Soc. Brot. 21: 131. 1947; Jaman & Umi Kalsom, 2006, 2008; Jaman & Umi Kalsom, 2010; Fl. Pen. Malaysia, Ser. I, Ferns & Lycoph. 1: 111, Christenhusz et al., 2011) and as the only two gen- map 1. 2010.— Schizaea wagneri Selling, Svensk era in Schizaeaceae (the rest having been moved to Bot. Tidskr. 40: 278, f. 8–11. 1946; Holttum, Rev. Lygodiaceae - see Smith et al., 2006, 2008; Fl. Malaya ed. 1, 2: 52. 1955 [‘1954’]; Holttum, Fl. Christenhusz et al., 2011). Males., Ser. II, Pterid. 1: 44, f. 4e−g. 1959; Holttum, Rev. Fl. Malaya ed. 2, 2: 52. 1968. Type: Papua The only species of Actinostachys previously New Guinea, Admiralty Islands, Manus Island, recorded from Thailand is Actinostachys digitata Summit of Mt Tjajiak, Grether & Wagner 4177, (L.) Wall. ex C.F.Reed, which is widely distributed November 1945 (holotype: UC! [barcode in Southeast and Peninsular Thailand (Tagawa & UC701236]; isotypes; K! [barcode K000408661], Iwatsuki, 1979; Lindsay & Middleton, 2012 on- S).— S. paucijuga Holttum, Gard. Bull. Singapore wards). Recently a specimen was collected in 11: 267. 1947. Type: Malaysia, Kedah Peak, Haniff Phangnga that has been identifi ed asActinostachys SFN 1098 (holotype: SING, n.v.). Fig. 1. wagneri (Selling) C.F.Reed, a new record for Thailand. This species is described and illustrated Terrestrial or sometimes appearing to be here. It differs fromActinostachys digitata in hav- epiphytic at base of trees; rhizome short-creeping, ing shorter fronds (up to 20 cm long vs. 20−35 cm producing fronds close together, less than 1 mm long), narrower fronds (up to 0.7 mm wide vs. diameter, with a few thick, stiff, wiry roots c. 0.2 mm more than 1 mm wide), stomata widely spaced in a diameter; root hairs to 3 mm long; apex of rhizome single row on each side of the midrib and close to densely covered in coarse brown multiseptate hairs it (vs. almost end-to-end in a single row on each up to 1.5 mm long. Fronds monomorphic, erect, side of the midrib and at some distance from it), simple, linear, (3–)7.5–16.5(–20) cm long, less * Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, Scotland, U.K. Email: [email protected] ** Division of Biological and Natural Resources Sciences, Mahidol University (Kanchanaburi campus), Sai-Yok, 71150 Kanchanaburi, Thailand. *** Herbarium, Biology Department, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai 90112, Songkhla, Thailand. ACTINOSTACHYS WAGNERI (SCHIZAEACEAE), A NEW RECORD FOR THAILAND 15 (S. LINDSAY, T. PHUTTHAI, K. SRIDITH, S. CHANTHANAORRAPINT & D.J. MIDDLETON) A B C D Figure 1. Actinostachys wagneri(Selling) C.F.Reed: A. Habit; B. Rhizome and stipe bases; C. Young fertile lobes; D. Fertile lobes showing sporangia in two rows. 16 THAI FOREST BULLETIN (BOTANY) 40 than 0.7 mm wide, reddish brown and terete or wagneri is reported to grow with Actinostachys triquete at base, gradually becoming green and digitata in New Guinea and with both Actinostachys very narrowly winged above the base (therefore, digitata and Schizaea dichotoma in Peninsular no distinct stipe); basal portion sometimes sinuous Malaysia and Singapore. and/or horizontal (especially if growing through IUCN Conservation Status. — Least Concern leaf litter or moss); midrib rather broad and slightly (LC). Although this species has been collected only to prominently raised on lower surface of winged once in Thailand and is known from relatively few portion but indistinct above, other venation, if any, localities in Peninsular Malaysia (Kedah, Perak obscure; with 2-celled dark glandular hairs sparse and Johor) it is very widespread and not under any throughout; stomata on the lower surface only, known threat. widely spaced, in 1 row on each side of the midrib Note.— Following Holttum (1955) we place and close to it. Sporangia produced only at the Schizaea paucijuga Holttum in synonymy of frond apex in a digitate cluster of (2–)3–4(–5) Actinostachys wagneri although we have not seen fertile lobes; fertile lobes linear, slightly twisted the type material. together when young but untwisting as they mature and separate, (3.5–)7–15(–19) mm long, less than 0.7 mm wide, with entire margins, venation of each REFERENCES lobe a single broad medial vein slightly raised Christenhusz, M.J.M., Zhang, X-C. & Schneider, below but indistinct above, with 2-celled dark H. (2011). A linear sequence of extant families glandular hairs above. Sporangia ovoid, sessile, and genera of lycophytes and ferns. Phytotaxa each with a large apical annulus, usually arranged 19: 7–54. in 2 rows (very rarely with short sections of 3 rows) Holttum (1955 [‘1954’]). A Revised Flora of the entire length of the lobes; long fi liform transparent Malaya, edition 1, vol. 2 Ferns of Malaya: 52. reddish-brown paraphyses protruding between Government Printing Offi ce, Singapore. sporangia, 2–4 times longer than sporangia, fl at, twisted, ribbon-like with rounded ends and all orig- Lindsay, S. & Middleton, D.J. (2012 onwards). inating from the vein. Spores monolete, bilateral, Ferns of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. http:// fi nely verrucose. rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/thaiferns/ Jaman, R. & Umi Kalsom, Y. (2010). Schizaeaceae. Thailand.— PENINSULAR: Phangnga [Thai In: Flora of Peninsular Malaysia Ser. 1, 1: 107– Muang, Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Muang National 117. FRIM, Kepong. Park, 17 Feb. 2011, Phutthai, Sridith & Chantanaorrapint 2477(PSU)]. Smith, A.R., Pryer, K.M., Schuettpelz, E., Korall, P., Schneider, H. & Wolf, P.G. (2006). A clas- Distribution.— Peninsular Malaysia, sifi cation of extant ferns. Taxon 55: 705–731. Singapore, Borneo, Moluccas, New Guinea, NE Australia. Smith, A.R., Pryer, K.M., Schuettpelz, E., Korall, P., Schneider, H. & Wolf, P.G. (2008). Fern Ecology.— In Thailand, Actinostachys wag- Classifi cation. Pp. 417–467 In: Ranker, T.A. & neri is only known from beach forest at sea level Haufl er, C.H. (eds), Biology and Evolution of but elsewhere it has been reported from a range of Ferns and Lycophytes, CUP, Cambridge. forest types and altitudes (eg. to 440 m in Peninsular Tagawa, M. & Iwatsuki, K. (1979). In: Smitinand, Malaysia and to 1600 m in New Guinea). Plants are T. & Larsen, K. (eds), Flora of Thailand, Vol. 3, usually terrestrial in leaf litter or humus, in moss or part 1. Royal Forest Department, Bangkok. on rotten logs but they can sometimes appear to be epiphytic in moss at the base of trees. Actinostachys