Pellaea calomelanos (Sw.) Link
var. calomelanos

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Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Bart Wursten
Quarry kopje, Cleveland Dam

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Path from entrance gate to Great Enclosure, Great Zimbabwe

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Near the lodges, Lake Kyle Recreational Park

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Near the lodges, Lake Kyle Recreational Park

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Birchenough bridge to Masvingo road, near Nyika

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mutirikwi CL, Murray MacDougall Drive

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mpinge pass, Great Dyke

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Bart Wursten
By the lodges, Lake Kyle Recreational Park

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Khami Ruins, Bulawayo.

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hippo Pools, Umfurudzi Safari area

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Nyangombe falls, Nyanga N.P.

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hippo Pools, Umfurudzi Safari area

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Pit structure, Nyanga N.P.

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Nyahokwe, Nyanga

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Christon Bank, Harare

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hillside Dams, Bulawayo

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Maleme Dam camp, around chalet 17, Matobo

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Bart Wursten
Domboshawa

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Rob Burrett
Rowallan Adventure Park, Matobo National Park

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mount Chinaka, Juliasdale

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
By Masvingo - Zvishavane road just before Mashava

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along road from Mount Buchwa to Zishavane

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along road to Mount Mberengwa

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mount Mberengwa

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mount Buchwa, road turning off to bottom of old mine building

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Road from Zhishavane to Bulawayo

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Road from Zhishavane to Bulawayo, past Mbalabala

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along Ft. Usher Road, Matobo

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Besna Kobila

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Petra Ballings
Ngomakurira

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along Fort Usher road, Matobo

Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

Photo: Mark Hyde
Mazvikadei Dam carpark

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Allosorus calomelanos (Sw.) C. Presl.
Notholaena calomelanos (Sw.) Keyserl.
Pellaea hastata sensu Sim
Pteris calomelanos Sw.
Pteris hastata sensu Thunb.
Common names: Kabovora (Shona) Mumvuriwedombo (Shona)
Frequency: Common
Status: Native
Description:
Rhizome erect to shortly creeping, c. 6 mm in diameter; rhizome scales black, margins pale, linear-lanceolate in outline, apex slowly tapering to a point, up to 10 mm long. Fronds tufted, erect to arching, coriaceous, glaucous, usually less than 40 cm tall. Stipe 5-30 cm long, round, black, very shining, hairless, sometimes with a few scales similar to the rhizome scales near the base, old stipe bases present. Lamina ovate in outline, 10-25 cm × 2.5-15 cm, mostly 2-pinnate, occasionally 3-pinnate on the lower pinnae, with 7-12 pairs of pinnae. Pinnae opposite to slightly alternate, oblong-ovate in outline. Pinnules less than 2 cm long, rounded to broadly hastate, with 3-5 acute to rounded points, articulated, petiolate, grey-green above, paler below, hairless, venetion free, hardly visible. Rhachis and secondary rhachis shiny black, hairless. Sori borne in a continuous ridge along the margins, indusium continuous, entire, membranous.
Notes: The rounded to broadly hastate pinnules, with typically 3-5 acute to rounded points, a grey-green colour and thick texture make this species easy to recognize. P. calomelanos var. swynnertoniana has larger fronds and pinnules that are more than 2 cm long; it is restricted to the east and southern parts of Zimbabwe.
Derivation of specific name: kalos: pretty, melanos: dark; an allusion to the glossy black stipe and rhachis of the plant.
Habitat: On rocky outcrops in woodland and grassland, favouring warm conditions in both dry and wet climates.
Altitude range: (metres) 900 - 1800 m
Worldwide distribution: Throughout southern, central and eastern Africa as far as Sudan; also Madagascar, Comoro Isl., Mascarene Isl., northern India, northeastern Spain.
Zimbabwe distribution: N,W,C,E,S
Growth form(s): Lithophyte, terrestrial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated: Monday 5 August 2013
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 176 - 177. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 89.

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 43.

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 28.

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 418 - 419. (Includes a picture).

Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 14.

Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 Page 82.

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 277 - 279. (Includes a picture).

Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Pages 53 - 54.

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 9.

Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Pages 70 - 71. (Includes a picture).

Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 189.

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Pages 132 - 133.

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 16.

Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 80.


Other sources of information about Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos
Flora of Malawi: Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos
Flora of Mozambique: Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos
Flora of Zambia: Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Pellaea calomelanos
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Pellaea calomelanos
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Pellaea calomelanos
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Pellaea calomelanos
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Pellaea calomelanos
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Pellaea calomelanos
JSTOR Plant Science: Pellaea calomelanos
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Pellaea calomelanos
Plants of the World Online: Pellaea calomelanos
Tropicos: Pellaea calomelanos
Wikipedia: Pellaea calomelanos


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Pellaea calomelanos var. calomelanos.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=100910, retrieved 29 March 2024

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