Tectaria multicaudata (C.B.Clarke) Ching (1931: 20)

Ding, Hui-Hui, Chao, Yi-Shan & Dong, Shi-Yong, 2013, Taxonomic novelties in the fern genus Tectaria (Tectariaceae), Phytotaxa 122 (1), pp. 61-64 : 62-63

Tectaria multicaudata (C.B.Clarke) Ching (1931: 20) .

Basionym:— Nephrodium multicaudatum Clarke (1880: 540) . Type :— BANGLADESH. Sylhet, 30 November 1887, Clarke 18427 (holotype K!) .

Ξ Tectaria griffithii auct . non (Baker) Christensen (1934: 180), Holttum (1991a: 54), pro parte, excluding the type of T. griffithii .

= Tectaria griffithii var. singaporeana Holttum (1991b: 551) , syn. nov. Type :— SINGAPORE. Bukit Timah, January 1908, Matthew s.n. (holotype K!).

Note:—As stated above, Tectaria multicaudata is a separate species from T. griffithii . They are distinct in the venation pattern, i.e., costal and costular areoles are present in T. multicaudata but absent in T. griffithii ( Fig. 1 ).

Holttum (1991b) proposed two varieties under his misunderstood Tectaria griffithii , i.e., T. griffithii var. singaporeana and T. griffithii var. amplissima , both having costal and costular areoles of veins. The only difference between the two varieties is “veins all free in lobes of fertile pinnae” in “ T. griffithii var. singaporeana ” but “veins amply anastomosing in fertile fronds” in “ T. griffithii var. amplissima ” ( Holttum 1991b). When carefully comparing a large number of specimens of T. multicaudata in herbaria, we found the form of veins of “ T. griffithii var. singaporeana ” falling within the variation range of veins of T. multicaudata . Therefore we propose to include T. griffithii var. singaporeana in T. multicaudata . The holotype of the second variety, T. griffithii var. amplissima , however, represents a distinct taxon, which is transferred to T. multicaudata as a variety.

Tectaria malayensis ( Christ 1907: 187) Copeland (1907: 416) was submerged by Holttum (1991a) under his misapplied T. griffithii . It was based on a collection from Luzon (Loher 858, K!) with the same venation pattern of T. multicaudata . If T. malayensis will be eventually proved to be a synonymous name, it should be reduced to T. multicaudata instead of T. griffithii .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Comparison of the venation between Tectaria griffithii (Baker) C.Chr. (a) and T. multicaudata (C.B.Clarke) Ching (b). a) Portion of a pinnule on basal pinna, based on the holotype of T. griffithii (Griffith s.n., K); b) portion of a pinnule on basal pinna, based on the holotype of T. multicaudata (Clarke 18427, K).