Coniogramme japonica (Thunb.) Diels (1899: 262)

Wang, Caihong, Yang, Wenli, Zhao, Junwen, Zhang, Danke & Zhang, Gangmin, 2019, Two new records of the fern genus Coniogramme (Pteridaceae) from Vietnam, PhytoKeys 119, pp. 137-142 : 137

Coniogramme japonica (Thunb.) Diels (1899: 262) Figures 1 , 3

Type.

Japan. No exact location. C. P. Thunberg s.n. (UPS!).

Specimens examined.

Vietnam. Cao Bang Province: Ha Lang District, Dong Loan municipality, vicinities of Ban Lung and Lung Phuc, 22°46'N, 106°44'E, 500-600 m elev., 25 Nov 1998, L. Averyanov et al. CBL 656 (HN). Bac Kan Province: Cho Don District, Ban Thi municipality, Phia Khao village, 22°17'03"N, 105°30'34"E, ca. 800 m elev., 5 Mar 2011, N.Q. Hieu, N.T. Hiep, P.K. Loc, P.V. The, & N.T. Vinh CPC 1240 (HNU 017603, HNU 017604).

Taxonomic notes.

This species is very unique in morphology, differing from other species in its anastomosing veins, which form 1-3 rows of areoles along each side of midrib and hydathodes not extending the base of short serrated teeth. Shing (1981, 1990) considered that pinnules of Coniogramme japonica are narrowly lanceolate with a cuneate or rounded-cuneate base and published a similar new species, C. centrochinensis Ching, whose pinnules were widely lanceolate with a rounded base. After specimen examination, combined with fieldwork, we found that the morphology of the pinnules was not stable and varied occasionally within normal populations. More research work should be undertaken to elucidate their phylogenetic relationship.

Distribution and habitat.

Coniogramme japonica is distributed in China, Japan (including Ryukyu Islands), Korea and Vietnam (new record). The species usually grows in shady wet places at an elevation of about 100 to 2000 m.

Figures

Figure 1. Coniogramme japonica (Thunberg) Diels A one of the voucher specimens B portion of a pinnule, showing anastomosing veins C morphology and habitat.

Figure 3. Distribution of C. japonica (dots) and C. procera (star) in Vietnam.