144.300 Vittaria Sm. - Shoelace fern

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 genus

Epiphytes or lithophytes. Rhizomes creeping, bearing clathrate scales. Fronds monomorphic, stipe poorly defined. Lamina simple, narrowly linear to narrowly elliptic, glabrous or sparsely set with short hairs, often pendent. Sori without an indusium, in two marginal, submarginal or intramarginal grooves. Paraphyses present.

Derivation of name: vitta: ribbon, referring to the narrowly linear, stringlike fronds.

Worldwide: c. 30 species, in tropical and warm regions.

Zimbabwe: 5 taxa.

Links to taxa: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

Species	FZ divisions	Content
elongata Sw.[EN]	E	Description, Image
ensiformis Sw.[EN]	E	Description, Image
guineensis Desv. var. orientalis Hieron.	E	Description, Image
isoetifolia Bory	E	Description, Image
volkensii Hieron.	E	Description, Image

Other sources of information about Vittaria:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Vittaria
Flora of Mozambique: Vittaria
Flora of Zambia: Vittaria

External websites:

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