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Synonyms: |
Asplenium floccigerum Rosenst. Asplenium hollandii (Sim) C. Chr. Davallia hollandii Sim Davallia nigrescens Hook. Loxoscaphe nigrescens (Hook.) T. Moore |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Rhizome erect; scales lanceolate, pale brown, up to 13 mm long, hair-pointed, fimbriate. Fronds tufted, aching, not proliferous. Stipe up to 20 cm, stipe and rhachis matt brown, sparsely set with hair-pointed scales. Lamina 60-90 cm × 30-50 cm, lanceolate in outline, 4-pinnate. Ultimate lobes c. 1-2 mm broad, hairless, oblanceolate, acute, margins entire. Sori cup-shaped, solitary, situated on the acroscopic side of the ultimate segments, protuding from the lobe margin; indusium entire. |
Notes: | Differs from similar species by having distinctive cup-shaped, protuding sori and finely divided fronds. |
Derivation of specific name: | hypo: below and melas: black; probably a reference to the dark environment in which this fern grows |
Habitat: | Deeply shaded evergreen forest, often on Cyathea manniana. Terrestrial, epiphyte or lithophyte. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1300 - 2250 m |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Bioko, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, DRC, Equatorial guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Soa Tomé, sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E,S |
Growth form(s): | Epiphyte. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Thursday 20 October 2011 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 239 - 240. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 94. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 25. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 7. Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 634 - 635. (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 9. 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 26. Fisher E. & Lobin W. (2024). Checklist of Lycopodiopsida (clubmosses and quillworts) and Polypodiopsida (ferns) of Rwanda. Willdenowia 53(3) Page 156. Fisher, E. & Lobin, W. (2023). Synoptic Revision of Aspleniaceae (Asplenium, Hymenasplenium) of Rwanda. Phytotaxa 608 (1) Page 18. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 377 - 378. (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 5. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 166. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 87 - 88. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Pages 187 - 188. (Includes a picture). |
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