Tectaria devexa

Tectariaceae

Tectaria devexa (Kunze ex Mett.) Copel.

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/83059

Rhizome short, suberect; scales c. 10 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, brown, glossy, entire. Fronds arching, 20–65 cm long, not dimorphic. Stipe 15–30 cm long, slender, pale castaneous, glabrescent; basal scales similar to those of the rhizome. Lamina 3-pinnatifid, to 35 cm long, thinly herbaceous; pinnae 3–5 pairs; basal pinnae to 18 cm long, with a 1.5 cm long stalk and 1 pair of pinnules; basal basiscopic pinnule to 8 cm long and 3.5 cm wide, very deeply lobed; lobes lobulate to half-way to their costules; basal one sometimes almost free; upper pinnae adnate on basiscopic side, lobed as pinnules of basal pinnae; costules of lobes to 10 mm apart; veins forming costal and costular areoles, additional areoles below sinuses few; lower surface of costae with hairs c. 0.5 mm long; entire lower surface on and between veins bearing many very slender shorter hairs; upper surface similarly hairy, with some thicker hairs between veins. Sori near the margins of lobules of pinna lobes, mostly on the acroscopic branches of free veins; indusium thin, glabrous or with short hairs.

Known from two populations in Australia, one in the Capricorn Caves E QLD, and one on Christmas Island. Also in Asia and Malesia.

Terrestrial or lithophytic in open to closed canopy wet forest and rainforest.

Readily cultivated in a greenhouse or garden in a tropical or subtropical climate. Grows well in a container or tub of moist free draining growing medium.

1a. Free included veinlets absent in costal areoles = T. devexa

1b. Free included veinlets present in costal areoles = 2

2a. Fronds not strongly dimorphic, usually with only one pair of pinnae dissected to midrib = T. confluens

2b. Fronds strongly dimorphic, those of mature plants with 2 or more pairs of pinnae = 3

3a. Supramedial pinnae of fertile fronds lobed = T. brachiata

3b. Supramedial pinnae of fertile fronds entire or nearly so = T. siifolia.