Stegnogramma - Thelypteridaceae

Stegnogramma pozoi (Lag.) K. Iwats.

Photo: P. Ballings
South Africa

Photo: P. Ballings
South Africa

Photo: P. Ballings
South Africa

Photo: P. Ballings
South Africa

Photo: P. Ballings
South Africa

Photo: P. Ballings
South Africa

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

Thelypteris pozoi (Lag.) C.V. Morton
Hemionitis pozoi Lag.
Leptogramme pozoi (Lag.) Heywood
Polypodium tottum Willd.
Nephrodium tottum (Willd.) Diels
Dryopteris africana (Desv.) C.Chr.

Common name

Description

Rhizome shortly creeping, then erect, up to 3 mm in diameter; rhizome scales lanceolate in outline, up to 1.5(1-5?) mm long, margin ciliate, dark brown. Fronds monomorphic, tufted, arching, not proliferous, softly herbaceous. Stipe up to 30 cm long, pale brown, thinly set with short white hairs and a few brown scales basally. Lamina up to 46 × 25 cm, 2-pinnatifid, narrowly elliptic to ovate-lanceolate in outline, apex tapering to a point with pinnatifid terminal segment, basal pair of pinnae somewhat reduced and deflexed, lower 4-8 pairs of pinnae free; pinnae 12-15 pairs, narrowly oblong in outline, base truncate, incised three quarters of the way to the costa into broadly oblong ultimate lobes, apex rounded, margin lobed; both surfaces hairy, more so along the veins, costa and costules; veins not meeting below or rarely touching at the sinus or one vein ending in the sinus and the other slightly above it; rhachis strawcoloured, with short and long white hairs. Sori oval to linear along the veins, up to 2 mm long; exindusiate.

Notes

Could be confused with species of the genus of Diplazium, but they have much larger fronds (up to 2m).
Stegnogramma pozoi look for: linear sori!

Derivation

pozoi: first collected by D.G. del Pozo in nothern Spain.

Habitat

In deep shade on forest floor and more rarely on mossy rocks along mountain streams in evergreen forest.

Distribution worldwide

Algeria, Bioko, Cameroon, Comoro Isl. Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

Distribution in Africa

Algeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco and Western Sahara, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan and South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania , Uganda, Zimbabwe.

Growth form

Lithophytic, terrestrial.

Literature

  • Burrows, J.E. (1990) Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 260. As Thelypteris pozoi (Includes a picture).
  • Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide. Struik Nature. Pages 676 - 677. (Includes a picture).
  • Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 393 - 395. (Includes a picture).
  • Roux, J.P. (2009) Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands. Strelitzia 23, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Page 211.
  • Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Pages 117 - 118. (Includes a picture).
  • Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0 Pages 199 - 200. As Thelypteris pozoi
  • Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. (1964) Ptéridophytes vol.3.Flore du Cameroun, Pages 239 - 240. (Includes a picture).
  • Verdcourt, B (2006) Thelypteridaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Pages 20 - 22. As Stegnogramme pozoi var. petiolata (Includes a picture).
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