Xiphopteris myosuroides sensu Schelpe, non Sw.
Xiphopteris strangeana Pic.Serm.

Rhizome ± erect to short-creeping. Fronds pinnate, very closely spaced, stipes 0.1–0.3 mm apart in each row. Stipe 1–7 mm long, with hairs. Lamina linear, linear-elliptic, linear-oblanceolate or narrowly oblanceolate in outline, 1.7–7.6 x 0.2–0.5 cm, apex pointed to rounded, base long-attenuate, pinnate or deeply pinnately divided to a distance 0.1–0.2 mm from the midrib in basal part of lamina, lobed ± 1/3 to less than halfway to rhachis in apical part, ± lobed portion in apical 1/5 to 1/2 of lamina, pinnae 6–18 pairs and 2–20 pairs of apical lobes, longest pinnae broadly to narrowly triangular , narrowly oblong, oblong or oblanceolate-oblong in outline, 1–3 x 1 mm, apex rounded to pointed, with hairs on lower surface of rhachis; lateral veins simple, free, each vein ending marked by an elongate hydathode on upper surface of lamina. Sori in apical 1/4 to 1/2 of lamina, on 0–4 pairs of pinnae and 2–20 pairs of apical lobes, 1 per pinna or apical lobe, on basal 1/3 to 1/2 of pinna to ± throughout.

strangeana: named after Strange who first collected this fern in the Keericho district in Kenya.

Montane forest, sometimes with Syzygium micklethwaithii and Rapanea dominant but dwarfed, associated with Newtonia, Macaranga and Dicranolepis, growing with bryophytes.

See African distribution.

Kenya, Tanzania .

Epiphytic.