Ceradenia - Polypodiaceae

Ceradenia sechellarum (Baker) Parris

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

Polypodium sechellarum Baker
Polypodium albobrunneum Baker
Ctenopteris albobrunnea (Baker) Tardieu
Xiphopteris albobrunnea (Baker) Schelpe
Grammitis sechellarum (Baker) C.V.Morton

Common name

Description

Rhizome short-creeping, not branched, with dense white glandular indumentum amongst scale and rhizoid bases; rhizome scales narrowly to linear-lanceolate in outline, with white glandular hairs ± 0.1 mm long on adaxial surface. Stipe ± 1 mm apart in each row, 4.2–5.8 cm long, with simple eglandular hairs 0.2–2.4 mm long and simple glandular hairs ± 0.1 mm long, sometimes with white exudate. Lamina narrowly lanceolate in outline, 5.6–10.4 x 1.2–2 cm, apex rounded, base broadly wedge-shaped, deeply pinnately divided to a distance 0.7–1.3 mm from the midrib; pinnae 13–15 pairs and 2–5 pairs of apical lobes, lowest pairs of pinnae not reduced to auricles, more than 1/2 as long as longest pinnae, longest pinnae narrowly triangular, 0.4–1.4 x 0.3–0.8 cm, apex rounded to pointed; with simple eglandular hairs 0.3–2 mm long on abaxial surface of rhachis and on margin; lateral veins free. Sori with white gland exudate evident when young, throughout lamina, 6 in each row on longest pinnae, in apical 2/3 of pinnae to ± throughout, much nearer to margin than pinna mid-vein.

Notes

Derivation

sechellarum: from the Seychelles, where the type specimen was collected.

Habitat

In moist forest with Balthasaria, Symphonia, Allanblackia uluguruensis, 1500-2000 m.

Distribution worldwide

Africa, Seychelles.

Distribution in Africa

Tanzania .

Growth form

Epiphytic.

Literature

  • Parris, B.S. (2005) Grammitidaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Pages 18 - 20. (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 152.
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