Home | > | List of families | > | Pteridaceae | > | Pteris | > | catoptera |
Synonyms: |
Pteris catoptera Retz. var. horridula Schelpe |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Rhizome erect or procumbent, up to 10 mm in diameter; rhizome scales dark brown, linear, 3-4 mm long, margins ciliate. Fronds tufted, arching. Stipe strawcoloured, up to 90 cm long, shiny, glabrous except for few brown scales near base and sometimes with scattered spines. Lamina oblong to ovate in outline, up to 90 × 60 cm, 2-pinnatifid in upper part, 3-pinnatifid lower down with basal pair of pinnae strongly basiscopically developed into 1-3 subpinnae, glabrous. Ultimate lobes thinly textured, linear to oblong, apex rounded, margins entire to subentire; veins free. Rhachis strawcoloured, glabrous, smooth or spiny, ventrally grooved; costae and costules on upper surface with fine spines. Sori in marginal line for most of the length of the fertile lobes; indusium narrow, membranous. |
Notes: | Pteris dentata and Pteris buchananii have crenate-serrate lobe apices; Pteris friesii does not have spines on the costules above and on the veins below. |
Derivation of specific name: | kato: below, pteros: winged; the basal pair of pinnae is basiscopically developed: an allusion to its wing-like appearance. |
Habitat: | Terrestrial in evergreen forest. |
Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 2200 m |
Worldwide distribution: | South Africa into tropical Africa, Madagascar, Comoro Isl. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,E |
Growth form(s): | Terrestrial. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Sunday 2 December 2012 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 163 - 164. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 87. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 40. as Pteris catoptera catoptera Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 46. As Pteris quadriaurita catoptera Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 324 - 325. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 14. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 25. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 240 - 242. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 68. 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 9. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 78. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 170 - 171. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 118. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 80. |
Home | > | List of families | > | Pteridaceae | > | Pteris | > | catoptera |