Adiantum patens Willd.
subsp. oatesii (Baker) schelpe

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Victoria Falls National Park.

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Synonyms:	Adiantum oatesii Baker Adiantum patens Willd. var. oatesii (Baker) F.Ballard Adiantum pedatum Peter
Common names:
Frequency:	Rare
Status:	Native
Description:	Rhizome creeping; rhizome scales short, brown, slightly ciliate. Fronds tufted, herbaceous, arching. Stipe up to 38 cm long, thin, brown, glabrous. Lamina triangular in outline, 25 × 30 cm, pedately divided into up to 11 linear, pinnate pinnae, each terminating in a single apical pinnule. Rhachis glabrous. Pinnules numerous, glabrous, 20 × 9 mm, rhombic in shape. Pinnules with short wiry brown petiole, upper and outer margins irregularly lobed, midrib forms the lower margin. Sori on pinnule lobes on the upper and outer margin of the undersurface, indusial flap circular to kidney-shaped, glabrous, up to 1.5 mm in diameter.
Notes:	Can be distinguished from A. hispidulum var. hispidulum which is sparsely set with hairs on the undersurface of the pinnae and has narrowly tapering pinnae segments.
Derivation of specific name:	patens: spreading, diverging from the axis at almost 90 degrees; referring to the fronds
Habitat:	Only known from Victoria Falls area. In deep shade in evergreen forest in spray of falls.
Altitude range: (metres)	890 m (approx)
Worldwide distribution:	Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe distribution:	W
Growth form(s):	Terrestrial.
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 122 - 123. As A. oatesii (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 227 - 228. As A. patens subsp. oatesii (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 64. As A. patens subsp.oatesii 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 75. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 70. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 111. As A. patens subsp. oatesii

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Flora of Caprivi: Adiantum patens subsp. oatesii
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Adiantum patens subsp. oatesii
Flora of Zambia: Adiantum patens subsp. oatesii

External websites:

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