Macrothelypteris polypodioides

Thelypteridaceae

Macrothelypteris polypodioides (Hook.) Holttum

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/58640

Rhizome short-creeping with ascending apex, scaly; scales brown, to c. 20 mm long, to 1 mm wide, thickened near the base, clothed with acicular and capitate hairs. Frond 60–150 cm long, herbaceous, dull green, becoming yellowed in exposed situations. Stipe to 80 cm long, pale brown, not glaucous, bearing abundant pale yellow capitate hairs, and clothed, especially in lower half, with slender whitish hairs and pale brown scales; scales similar to those on the rhizome; scale bases persistent as warty protuberances. Lamina deeply 2-pinnate-pinnatifid, ovate to narrowly ovate, to 80 cm long, 70 cm wide; basal pinnae the largest, c. 10–35 cm long and 2–15 cm wide; largest secondary pinnae to 10 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, with tertiary pinnae connected by a very narrow wing along costa; upper surface of lamina between the veins glabrous; lower surface with short capitate hairs; both surfaces of rachis, costae and costules with acicular hairs as on stipe; lower surfaces bearing scattered whitish to pale brown narrow ciliate basally-thickened scales to 3 mm long, grading distally to septate hairs; veins free, simple or forked. Sori small, on acroscopic branch of a vein; indusium small, rounded-reniform, persistent, bearing many short capitate hairs; sporangia with 1–3 capitate hairs near the annulus. 

NE QLD with populations known from the Cairns and Eungella regions. Also in Asia, Malesia and the Pacific Islands.

Terrestrial on exposed banks in mesic vine forest.

Populations are usually very localised.

Similar to Macrothelypteris torresiana, from which it may be distinguished by the presence of narrow ciliate scales on the rachis and pinna (cf. slender hairs only in M. torresiana).