全 文 ：植 物 分 类 学 报 45 (3): 359–362(2007) doi:10.1360/aps06150
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica http://www.plantsystematics.com
———————————
Received: 20 September 2006 Accepted: 22 March 2007
* Author for correspondence. E-mail: .
The identity of Aleuritopteris veitchii and A. duclouxii var.
sulphurea in Sinopteridaceae
1, 2ZHANG Gang-Min 3YANG Wen-Li 2ZHANG Xian-Chun*
1 (College of Biology, Beijng Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)
2 (Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China)
3 (Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China)
Abstract The type specimens of Aleuritopteris veitchii (Christ) Ching, A. duclouxii (Christ)
Ching var. sulphurea Ching, and A. cremea Ching ex S. K. Wu were carefully examined. The
lectotype of A. veitchii was designated based on the original description. A. cremea was
identical to the above species and thus reduced to a synonym of it. It is characterized by
concolorous, linear-lanceolate rhizome scales and finely dissected fronds with sulphur-yellow
farina. A. duclouxii var. sulphurea, whose rhizome scales are distinctly bicolorous, can be
easily distinguished from A. veitchii. The name of the above variety is reinstated.
Key words Aleuritopteris, lectotype, new synonymy, Aleuritopteris veitchii, Aleuritopteris
duclouxii var. sulphurea.
Christ (1906) published Doryopteris veitchii Christ based on two different specimens.
One of them (Wilson 5397, Fig. 1: A), which is characterized by concolorous, linear-
lanceolate rhizome scales and finely dissected fronds with sulphur-yellow farina, is
designated here as the lectotype, based on the original description; the other (Wilson 5396,
Fig. 1: B), whose rhizome scales are lanceolate, bicolorous, with dark central stripe and light
narrow margins, should be referred to as another species (Aleuritopteris duclouxii (Christ)
Ching var. sulphurea Ching). Later, Ching (1941) transferred Doryopteris veitchii into the
genus Aleuritopteris Fée.
In 1935, Ching proposed a new variety, Cheilanthes duclouxii (Christ) Ching var.
sulphurea Ching, which differs from the typical variety (C. duclouxii) in its sulphur-yellow
farina. Moreover, he pointed out that this variety should not be confused with Cheilanthes
veitchii (Christ) Ching (Aleuritopteris veitchii), from which it differs in the stipe being not
glossy black and fronds not so finely dissected. Later, Cheilanthes duclouxii was moved to the
genus Aleuritopteris, and the above variety was still treated as distinct from A. veitchii (Ching,
1941). However, Wu (1981) treated it as a synonym of A. veitchii. At the same time, he
proposed a new species named Aleuritopteris cremea Ching ex S. K. Wu. After examining
specimens of the complex, including the type, we confirm that A. cremea is identical to A.
veitchii, and the former one should be reduced as a synonym. The erroneous taxonomic
treatment was also followed in “Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae” (Wu, 1990). So the
specimens of the above two taxa deposited in Chinese herbaria are often erroneously labeled.
1. Aleuritopteris veitchii (Christ) Ching in Hongk. Nat. 10: 200. 1941.——Doryopteris
veitchii Christ in Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 15: 134. 1906; C. Chr. in Ind. Fil. Suppl. 1: 28.
1913.——Cheilanthes veitchii (Christ) Ching, C. Chr. in Ind. Fil. Suppl. 3: 55. 1934. Type:
Western China. Without precise locality, E. H. Wilson 5397 (lectotype, here designated, P!).
Aleuritopteris cremea Ching ex S. K. Wu in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 19 (1): 65. 1981; H. S.
Kung in Fl. Sichuan. 6: 246, t. 77, figs. 2–4. 1988; S. K. Wu in Ching & K. H. Shing, Fl.
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 45 360
Reip. Pop. Sin. 3 (1): 150. 1990; X. C. Zhang & L. Shi in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 32 (1): 95, figs.
5, 6. 1994, syn. nov. Type: China. Sichuan (四川): Baoxing (宝兴), on crevices, alt. 1500 m,
S. Chiang (姜恕) 10170 (PE!).
金爪粉背蕨 Fig. 1: A, 2: A–C



Fig. 1. Two specimens cited when Doryopteris veitchii (Aleuritopteris veitchii) was published. A, Wilson 5397
(lectotype, here designated, P). B, Wilson 5396 (P).

Rhizomes short, ascending; scales chestnut-brown, concolorous, narrowly lanceolate,
apex subulate. Leaves clustered. Petiole 8–15 cm, chestnut-red or dark brown, lustrous,
covered with reddish brown, linear scales at base. Blade ovate-pentagonal, 7–15×5–10 cm,
2-pinnate-pinnatifid, apex caudate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially with pale yellow farina;
rachis and costae of the same color as petiole. Pinnae 4–5 pairs, sessile, separated from each
other, basal pair largest, nearly triangular, 1-pinnate-pinnatifid; pinnules 4–7 pairs, proximal
basiscopic pinnule largest, 3–4×1–2 cm, 1-pinnatifid; ultimate segments oblong or ovate.
Veins pinnate, obscure. Sori at vein tips. False indusia membranaceous, continuous, margins
entire. Spores subglobose, with a reticulate perine.
Rare, endemic to Sichuan, China. Usually on crevices at 1300–2000 m altitude.
Representative specimens:
Sichuan (四川): Baoxing (宝兴), S. Chiang (姜恕) 10170 (Type of A. cremea, PE), X. B. Zhang & Y.
X. Ren (张秀宝, 任有铣) 7614 (PE); Chongqing–Chengdu (重庆至成都), T. N. Liou (刘慎谔) 9787 (PE);
Kangding (康定), C. L. Wu (吴中伦) 12184 (PE); Miyi (米易), G. M. Zhang (张钢民) 487 (PE); Panzhihua
(攀枝花), G. M. Zhang (张钢民) 591 (PE); Xichang (西昌), L. Liou & H. S. Kung (刘亮, 孔宪需) 882 (PE).
No. 3 ZHANG et al.: Identity of Aleuritopteris veitchii and A. duclouxii var. sulphurea in Sinopteridaceae 361
2. Aleuritopteris duclouxii (Christ) Ching var. sulphurea Ching in Hongk. Nat. 10: 199.
1941.——Doryopteris duclouxii Christ f. argentea Christ, Mem. Soc. Bot. France 1 (1): 58.
1905.——Cheilanthes duclouxii (Christ) Ching var. sulphurea Ching in Ic. Fil. Sin. 3: 133.
1935. Type: China. Yunnan (云南): Heqing (鹤庆), Mt. Mao Kou Tchang, near Ta-pin-tze,
Delavay 9 (syntype, PE!).
Doryopteris mairei Brause, Hedwigia 54: 206, t. 4, fig. J. 1914. Type: China. Yunnan
(云南): Without precise locality, Maire 6502 (holotype, not seen).
Aleuritopteris veitchii auct. non Ching: S. K. Wu in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 19 (1): 64. 1981;
et in Ching & K. H. Shing, Fl. Reip. Pop. Sin. 3 (1): 149. 1990; H. S. Kung in Fl. Sichuan. 6:
245, t. 77, fig. 1. 1988; X. C. Zhang & L. Shi in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 32 (1): 97. 1994.
硫磺粉背蕨 Fig. 2: D–F



Fig. 2. Spore morphology of Aleuritopteris veitchii (A–C, voucher specimen: S. Chiang 10170) and A. duclouxii var.
sulphurea (D–F, voucher specimen: T. P. Zhu 263).
Scale bar: A, B, E, 20 μm; C, 3.8 μm; D, 25 μm; F, 3.0 μm.

Rhizome short, erect; scales lanceolate, bicolorous. Leaves clustered, 15–47 cm high.
Petiole 8–33 cm long, red brown to castaneous, scaly at base. Blade ovate-oblong or
pentagonal, caudate at top, 6–15 cm long, nearly equal to wide, coriaceous, adaxially
glabrous, abaxially with sulphur-yellow waxy powder, bipinnatifid or tripinnatifid at base.
Pinnae 3–5 pairs, sessile, opposite, extending upwards; the upper lateral pinnae generally
simple, entire, falcate, while two basal pairs much larger, nearly semipinnatifid, i.e., only the
Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica Vol. 45 362
lower side of costa with conspicuous segments. Ultimate segments usually falcate, with an
acuminate apex. Indusia narrow, continuous, with an entire margin. Sori confluent at mature.
Spores subglobose, with a reticulate perine.
Endemic to SW China. Distributed in Sichuan and Yunnan. Usually on crevices or
terrestrial in evergreen forests at 1300–2200 m altitude.
Representative specimens:
Sichuan (四川): Kangding (康定), H. S. Kung (孔宪需) 6100 (PE); Mianning (冕宁), T. S. Ying (应俊
生) 4373 (PE); Miyi (米易), T. P. Zhu (朱太平) 263 (PE), G. M. Zhang (张钢民) 502 (PE); Muli (木里),
Qinghai-Xizang Exped. (青藏考察队) 12929 (KUN), G. M. Zhang (张钢民) 279 (PE); Panzhihua (攀枝花),
Qinghai-Xizang Exped. (青藏考察队) 11321 (KUN), G. M. Zhang (张钢民) 598 (PE); Xichang (西昌), H.
Smith 1830 (K; photo, PE), H. S. Kung (孔宪需) 3480 (PE, PYU). Yunnan (云南): Binchuan (宾川), T. N.
Liou (刘慎谔) 17719 (PE); Dayao (大姚), NW Yunnan Jinshajiang Exped. (滇西北金沙江队) 6813 (PE,
PYU, KUN); Heqing (鹤庆), Delavay 9 (PE), R. C. Ching (秦仁昌) 24631 (PE, KUN); Lijiang (丽江), W.
M. Chu & Y. M. Feng (朱维明, 冯永明) 1050 (PYU, PE); Luquan (禄劝), W. M. Chu et al. (朱维明等)
1624 (PYU, PE); Yongren (永仁), W. M. Chu & J. L. Wu (朱维明, 吴金亮) 1739 (PYU, PE).
Acknowledgements We thank the herbaria PE, PYU, KUN for conveniences of referencing
specimens and K, P, KYO for loan of specimens. We are also grateful to Professor W. M.
CHU for his helpful comments on the manuscript.
References
Ching R-C. 1935. Icones Filicum Sinicarum (3). Beijing: Science Press. Pl. 133.
Ching R-C. 1941. The studies of Chinese ferns, Part XXXI. Hong Kong Naturalist 10: 194–204.
Christ H. 1906. Filices Chinae occidentalis. Bulletin De L’academie Internationale De Geographie Botanique
15: 97–142.
Wu S-K (武素功). 1981. A study of the genus Aleuritopteris Fée in China. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica (植物
分类学报) 19: 57–74.
Wu S-K (武素功). 1990. Aleuritopteris Fée. In: Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae (中国植物志). Beijing:
Science Press. 3 (1): 141–166.
金爪粉背蕨和硫磺粉背蕨的名实问题
1, 2张钢民 3杨文利 2张宪春*
1 (北京林业大学生物学院 北京 100083)
2 (中国科学院植物研究所 北京100093)
3 (河北农业大学园林与旅游学院 保定 071000)

摘要 对金爪粉背蕨Aleuritopteris veitchii (Christ) Ching、硫磺粉背蕨A. duclouxii var. sulphurea Ching和
A. cremea Ching ex S. K. Wu的模式标本进行了考证。根据原始描述指定了金爪粉背蕨的后选模式, 并将
A. cremea处理为它的异名。该种的特征是根状茎上的鳞片为同色, 狭披针形, 叶片分裂较细且被硫磺色
粉状物。硫磺粉背蕨A. duclouxii var. sulphurea根状茎上的鳞片明显二色, 与上者不同, 本文重新恢复了
该变种名称。
关键词 粉背蕨属; 后选模式; 新异名; 金爪粉背蕨; 硫磺粉背蕨