Pteridophyta: Polypodiales

Blechnaceae - Hard ferns

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria.

Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca

Description of the family

Terrestrial, epiphytic or lithophytic ferns. Rhizome widely creeping and often stoloniferous or suberect to erect, with scales. Stipe not articulated. Fronds pinnate or pinnatifid (rarely 2-pinnatifid), dimorphic, fertile strongly contracted. Young fronds often tinged with red. Veins free, simple or forked or anastomosing without included veinlets, always ending near the margin. Indumentum composed of bracts and unicellular hairs occurring on the rhizome, the axes and the lamina surfaces. Sori short and discontinuous or long and continuous, usually borne on a secondary vein parallel to the costa, between the costa and the margin. Indusium linear, continuous or discontinuous, mostly entire, opening towards the costa, or exindusiate.

Worldwide: 9 genera and c.200 species worldwide, cosmopolitan.

Zimbabwe: 2 genera and 8 taxa.

Blechnum attenuatum

Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Blechnum L.Description, Image
Stenochlaena J. Sm.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Blechnaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Blechnaceae
Flora of the DRC: Blechnaceae
Flora of Malawi: Blechnaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Blechnaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Blechnaceae
Flora of Zambia: Blechnaceae

External websites:

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



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: Family page: Blechnaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=34, retrieved 4 December 2024

Site software last modified: 25 February 2024 10:33am (GMT +2)
Terms of use