Species

Lellingeria oosora (Baker) A.R. Sm. & R.C. Moran

Photo: P. Ballings
Zimbabwe

Synonyms	Grammitis oosora (Baker) J.E. Burrows Xiphopteris oosora (Baker) Alston Polypodium oosorum Baker Xiphopteris oosora (Baker) Alston Baker newtonii Baker
Common name
Description	Rhizome c. 1 mm diameter, shortly creeping to ascending; rhizome scales brown, entire, lanceolate, up to 1.5 mm long. Fronds pinnatifid to pinnate, tufted, erect, sessile or subsessile, subcoriaceous. Stipe short, 2-6 mm long, less than 1/7 the length of the lamina or included in the lamina, with hairs and glandular hairs. Lamina up to 4.9-11 × 0.4-0.7 cm, linear in outline, apex rounded to pointed, base wedge shaped to tapering, deeply pinnatifid to pinnate, pinnae 2-4 x 1-2 mm, oblong, glabrous or with hairs and glandular hairs on both surfaces of rhachis and glandular hairs on upper surface of lamina, midrib dark brown to blackish; veins free, ending in a conspicuous pale hydathode on the upper surface. Sori round to elliptic, one on each lobe next to the midrib.
Notes
Derivation	oosora: with sori shaped like an egg.
Habitat	Moist, moss-covered rocks along a deeply shaded streambank in high-altitude evergreen mist forest, epiphyte in montane forest.
Distribution worldwide	Africa, Madagascar, São Tomé.
Distribution in Africa	Cameroon , Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Gabon , Guinea , Ivory Coast , Liberia , Malawi , Mozambique , Rwanda , Sierra Leone , Tanzania , Zimbabwe .
Growth form	Epiphytic, lithophytic.
Literature	Burrows, J.E. (1990) Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 186 - 187. As Grammitis oosora (Includes a picture). Parris, B.S. (2005) Grammitidaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Page 7. (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 156. Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Page 107. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0 Pages 143 - 144. As Xiphopteris oosora Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. (1964) Ptéridophytes vol.3.Flore du Cameroun, Pages 325 - 326.