Drynaria - Polypodiaceae

Drynaria laurentii (H.Christ ex De Wild. & T.Durand) Hieron.

Photo: C. Jongkind
Guinea

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

Polypodium astrosorum Christ
Polypodium propinquum var. laurentii Christ ex De Wild. & Durand

Common name

Description

Rhizome thick, creeping, often woolly beneath; rhizome scales rust coloured, 1–4 x 1.2 mm, base peltate, margins with long thin hairs towards the apex formed of thin-walled cells with yellowish red contents. Sterile fronds elliptic in outline, 13–42 x 5–16 cm, base cordate, deeply lobed for 1/3–2/3 of the lamina, the lobes 1.2–7.5 cm long, 1.3–2 cm wide, pointed to rounded. Fertile fronds horizontal or drooping with petiole 5–35 cm long, winged at the apex or throughout its length; limb (20–)50–70 x (10–)20–40 cm, divided up to the rhachis into linear lobes 8–26 x 1.5–4 cm, acute or rounded; venation prominent. Sori thick, round, 3 mm diameter in a row on each side of and close to the costa.

Notes

Derivation

laurentii: named after Laurent, who found this fern in DRC.

Habitat

Evergreen or fringing forest, Brachystegia microphylla woodland, Brachystegia lowland evergreen forest bounderies.

Distribution worldwide

See African distribution.

Distribution in Africa

Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Dem. Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania , Togo, Uganda.

Growth form

Epiphytic.

Literature

  • Roux, J.P. (2009) Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands. Strelitzia 23, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Pages 152 - 153.
  • Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. (1964) Ptéridophytes vol.3.Flore du Cameroun, Pages 337 - 339. (Includes a picture).
  • Thardieu-Blot, M.L. (1964) Ptéridophytes vol.8.Flore du Gabon, Pages 199 - 200. (Includes a picture).
  • Verdcourt, B. (2001) Polypodiaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Pages 11 - 12. (Includes a picture).
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