| Home | > | List of families | > | Polypodiaceae | > | Microsorum | > | scolopendria |
| Synonyms: |
Drynaria phymatodes (L.) Fée Phymatodes scolopendria (Burm. f.) Ching Pleopeltis phymatodes (L.) T.Moore Polypodium phymatodes L. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Rhizome widely creeping, up to 1 cm in diameter; rhizome scales dark brown, lanceolate, tapering to a point, finely toothed, later lost and surface becoming white. Fronds widely spaced, coriaceous, glabrous. Stipe up to 45 cm long, stramineous to light brown, glabrous. Lamina up to 60 × 30 cm, deltate-ovate to broadly oblong in outline, deeply pinnatifid into 4-8 pairs of lobes and a terminal segment. Lobes up to 15 × 3 cm, narrower in fertile than in sterile fronds, narrowly oblong to linear in outline, apex pointed, margins entire to somewhat wavy. Sori 2-3 mm in diameter, in 1-2 regular to irregular lines on either side of the costae, slightly sunken into the lamina, prominent on the upper side, exindusiate, with nonpeltate paraphyses. |
| Notes: | Can be confused with Microsorum scandens that has the sori placed in 1 row on each side of the costule and up to 20 pairs of pinna and with *Phlebodium aureum that has dense golden brown rhizome scales and 8-16, up to 35 pairs pinna. |
| Derivation of specific name: | skolopendrion: a millipede; a comparison alluding to the creeping rhizome with its rootlets. |
| Habitat: | In low-altitude areas below the eastern border mountains in Brachystegia woodland and riverine forest. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 320 - 920 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | From eastern South Africa to Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, tropical Africa, Madagascar, Comoro and Mascarene islands, Sri Lanka, southeastern Asia, China, Australia and Polynesia. |
| 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: | Monday 30 April 2012 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 200 - 202. (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 552 - 553. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 314 - 316. (Includes a picture). 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 8. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Pages 101 - 102. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 161. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta FZ Pages 153 - 155. As Phymatodes scolopendria (Includes a picture). |
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