Blotiella glabra (Bory) R.M. Tryon

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Photo: Petra Ballings
SRGH

Photo: Petra Ballings
Road from Mt Selinda to Espungabera border post

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Synonyms:	Lonchitis glabra Bory Lonchitis pubescens Willd. var. glabra (Bory) Baker Lonchitis stenochlamys Fée Pteris glabra (Bory) Mett.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Rhizome widely creeping, 3-5 mm diameter, ending in a suberect, somewhat enlarged aerial portion; rhizome hairs dense, shiny brown, up to 15 mm long. Fronds closely spaced. Stipe up to 0.8 m, thinly pubescent with short, brown hairs. Lamina 0.5-1.3 m × 0.3-0.8 m, ovate in outline, 2- to 3-pinnatifid, thinly pubescent on both surfaces, secondary rhachis winged. Pinnae uniformly incised from the apex towards the base with the pinnules variously incised or pinnatifid into rounded lobes. Sori ± crescent-shaped, situated at the base of the sinuses between the pinnules; indusium present.
Notes:	Differs from B. natalensis by having a widely creeping rhizome and fronds that are up to 2m long. It also forms small colonies, allthough isolated plants are encountered. Tectaria gemmifera has laminal sori and buds or plantlets on the rhachis or costae.
Derivation of specific name:	glabra: hairless; reference not clear.
Habitat:	Near streams or in seepage zones in deep shaded evergreen forest.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1750 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread on tropical African mountains, also S Africa and the Madagascan region.
Zimbabwe distribution:	E
Growth form:
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Tuesday 10 February 2009
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 102 - 103. (Includes a picture). Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 292 - 293. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 204 - 205. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 86. 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 6. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 92. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 108. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta FZ Page 82.

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Other sources of information about Blotiella glabra:

Flora of Mozambique: Blotiella glabra
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Blotiella glabra
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Blotiella glabra
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Blotiella glabra
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Blotiella glabra
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Blotiella glabra
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Blotiella glabra
JSTOR Plant Science: Blotiella glabra
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Blotiella glabra
Tropicos: Blotiella glabra
West African Plants database: Blotiella glabra