Thelypteris krysnaensis N.C.Anthony & Schelpe

Rhizome erect to procumbent, forming a short caudex up to 20 cm tall. Fronds monomorphic, tufted, arching, thinly herbaceous. Stipe up to 32 cm long, light brown or strawcoloured, minutely hairy and with a few scales around the base. Lamina deeply 2-pinnatifid, basal pinnae gradually decrescent, with usually 1 pair of very small, vestigial pinnae, elliptic in outline, ca. 46(-90) x 16 cm; pinnae narrowly oblong-acuminate in outline, up to 16 x 2.5 cm, under and undersurface set with short straight hairs; basal veins not uniting below the sinus between the lobes; rhachis pubescent with scattered hairs below. Sori round; indusium ca. 0.7 mm in diameter, lost at maturity, set with minute, stalked, yellow or translucent glands as well as scattered, straight, white hairs.

A. knysnaensis look for: straight hairs on lower surface of lamina, indusiawith gland, basal pinnae gradually decrescent with 1 pair of vestigial pinnae, veins of pinnae lobes not meeting below sinus.

knysnaensis: from Knysna; this fern is endemic to the Western Cape in S.A. and frequently found around George and Knysna.

In moist, evergreen temperate forest, near streams, on seepage zones, unusually on shaded forest floor away from water.

See African distribution.

South Africa.

Terrestrial.