Drynaria sparsisora
Content
Distribution
Asia-Tropical: Lesser Sunda Is. present, Southeast Asia to Australia present
Southeast Asia to Australia. Throughout Malesia, but not known from the Lesser Sunda Islands.
Morphology
Juvenile foliage fronds often have a somewhat dilated frond base. The narrow, needle-like acumen of the rhizome scales often disappears from old scales, leaving older parts of the rhizome completely covered by characteristic, short, dark, appressed scales and scale-bases. Juvenile specimens tend to have longer, more narrowly subulate acumens, which also appear to be absent from older parts. Although the scales are usually quite different from those of D. quercifolia, occasionally some more intermediate forms occur. Juvenile plants or specimens without rhizome may be impossible to identify with certainty.
Uses
Medicine for eyes; rhizome applied to snake bites (Philippines), used for ‘rat scare-crow’ (Philippines). Salakans use it to be invisible to evil ghosts inhabiting Ficus species. Children use the base fronds as kites (Java).
Citation
Copel. 1911 – In: Philipp. J. Sc. Bot.: 91
Holttum 1954 – In: Revis. Fl. Malaya: 183
Copel. 1961: Fern Fl. Philipp.: 497
Alderw. 1924 – In: Nova Guinea: 15
Copel. 1947: Gen. Fil.: 204
Roos 1985: Drynarioideae: 256
Brause 1920 – In: Bot. Jahrb. Syst.: 208
Copel. 1905: Polypod. Philipp.: 135
C. Chr. & Holttum 1934 – In: Gard. Bull. Str. Settlem.: 315
Copel. 1929 – In: Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot.: 119
Alderw. 1908: Malayan Ferns: 699
Bedd. 1883: Handb. Ferns Brit. India: 343
Desv. 1827 – In: Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris: 235
Racib. 1898: Pterid. Buitenzorg: 118
C. Chr. 1906: Ind. Fil.: 249
Baker 1868 – In: Hook. & Baker, Syn. Fil.: 368