Polystichum zambesiacum Schelpe

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Photo: Petra Ballings
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Photo: Petra Ballings
Path to waterfall, Mtarazi Falls, Inyanga

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

Synonyms:
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Rhizome shortly creeping to suberect, up to 25 mm in diameter; rhizome scales up to 20 mm long, margin entire, reddish-brown, narrowly lanceolate, tapering to a point. Fronds closely tufted, arching, herbaceous, drying almost black on ventral side, dull green on dorsal side. Stipe up to 65 cm long, pale brown but darker near the base; set towards the base with dark scales with pale margins, up to 10 mm long. Lamina ovate to broadly lanceolate in outline, terminal segment long and narrow, 2-pinnate to 3-pinnatifid, with basal pair of pinnae somewhat reduced and deflexed, up to 90 × 50 cm. Pinnae narrowly lanceolate, tapering to a point. Pinnules variable, narrowly oblong to narrowly lanceolate in outline, basal acroscopic lobe enlarged and sometimes almost free; margins entire, shallowly lobed or deeply pinnatifid into crenate-serrate blunt lobes; both surfaces glabrous. Rhachis with scattered scales similar to those on the stipe but smaller. Sori round, c. 0.75 mm in diameter; indusia very small, shed soon after maturity.
Notes:	This species does not have aristate pinnule margins, the rhachis has hair-like scales and the rhizome is short suberect.
Derivation of specific name:	zambesiacum: of the Zambesia region; referring to the Flora Zambesiaca area, type specimen found in Zimbabwe.
Habitat:	In high altitude evergreen, montane mist forest, in shade on forest floor, along forest edge and streams.
Altitude range: (metres)	1770 - 1920 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe.
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
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 310 - 312. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Page 445. (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 6. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 130. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 139. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta FZ Page 226. (Includes a picture).

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Other sources of information about Polystichum zambesiacum:

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