• Family (Christenhusz et al, 2011) : DRYOPTERIDACEAE
• Family (As per The Plant List) : Dryopteridaceae
• Species : Polystichum kunthianum
• Species Name (as per The Plant List) : Polystichum kunthianum B.K. Nayar & Geev.
• Collection Nos : CS 5007
• Collector(s) Name : C. J. Saldanha
• Endemism : South India
• Key identification features : Rhizome erect or suberect, upto 6 cm thick, densely covered by lanceolate scales all over. Stipes tufted, dark brown, more or less tetragonal with a shallow groove above, deep groove on lateral sides, densely scaly below, sparsely above. Lamina bipinnate with simply pinnate apex, deltoid; pinnae about 10 pairs, spreading, subopposite, shortly stalked, slightly narrowed at base; pinnules upto 15 pairs in the largest basal pinnae, spreading, alternate, shortly stalked, margin crenate in the distal part; costa flattened above and below, veins slightly distinct below, not reaching the margin; costules and veins bear long, soft, septate hairs blow; upper surface of pinnules and lower intervenal area glabrous; pinnae dark green; texture thick coriaceous. Sori median on the veinlets, indusiate; indusia dark brown.
• Habit : Herb-Terrestrial
• Native : India
• Comments : Syn: Polystichum subinerme Fraser-Jenk. A very rare endemic species.
• Conservation Status : At Risk (Jenkins, 2008)
• Collection Locality : Kodaikanal
• Floras referred : Fraser-Jenkins, Taxonomic revision of Indian Subcontinental Pteridophytes 2008

Herbarium Specimen(s)