Home | > | List of families | > | Hymenophyllaceae | > | Hymenophyllum | > | sibthorpioides |
Synonyms: |
Microtrichomanes parvulum (Poir.) Copel. Trichomanes parvulum Poir. Trichomanes sibthorpioides Bory ex Willd. Trichomanes thouarsianum C. Presl |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Rare |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Rhizome wiry. Fronds spaced apart (up to 2.5 cm). Stipe up to 3 cm long, wiry, not winged, glabrous. Lamina almost circular in outline, up to 1.5 cm in radius, flabellate, palmately divided into up to 30 linear lobes. Lobes up to 4 × 1.5 mm, margins entire, apices rounded, venation repeatedly dichotomously branched, glabrous. Sori at the apices of the lobes, obconic to subcircular, c. 1 mm in diameter, indusial valves erose-dentate, ovate; lower part of sorus winged by lamina. |
Notes: | Hard to find and easy to overlook but easily distinguished from other species by its small size and its fan-shaped frond. |
Derivation of specific name: | sibthorpioides: sibthorpia is a genus of European herbs within the Scrophulariaceae which has leaves of similar appearance to the fronds of this fern. |
Habitat: | Epiphyte or lithophyte in deeply shaded evergreen mist forest receiving a high rainfall of over 2500 mm per annum, on south-eastern mountain slopes. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1320 - 1850 m |
Worldwide distribution: | Comoro and Mascarene islands, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | Epiphyte, lithophyte. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 94 - 96. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 84. 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 11. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 191 - 193. (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 7. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 43. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 46. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 79. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 78. |
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