Species

Gleichenia elongata Baker

Synonyms	Gleicheniastrum elongatum (Baker) Nakai Gleichenia ruwenzoriensis Brause
Common name
Description	Rhizome wiry, brown to black and shiny, naked, 2 mm in diameter. Fronds erect, oblong in outline, 0.3–1.4 m tall, coriaceous. Stipe matt, brownish straw-coloured, 13–30 cm long, glabrous. Rhachis continuing growth through up to 2 false dichotomies. Pinnae suberect, broadly lanceolate in outline, up to 14 × 5 cm; tufts of brown hair-scales 1.5(–4) mm long in the axils of the false dichotomies and sparsely on the pinnae costae. Pinnules up to 38 pairs per pinna, linear-attenuate in outline, to 3 × 2.5 cm, hairless, divided to the midrib into up to 25 pairs of rounded triangular lobes up to 1.5 × 1.5 mm. Sori solitary, not sunken, at the end of simple veins, consisting of 6–14 sporangia.
Notes	Similar to Gleichenia polypodioides which has sori that are sunken into the lamina; a lamina that is dichotomously divided with 1 level of false dichotomy and is circular in outline.
Derivation	elongata: long, lengthened.
Habitat	Banks of a small stream in light shade, forest edges and Erica zones on mountains.
Distribution worldwide	See African distribution.
Distribution in Africa	Dem. Republic of Congo , Kenya , Malawi , Rwanda , Tanzania , Uganda .
Growth form	Terrestrial.
Literature	Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Page 39. 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 50. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0 Pages 48 - 50. (Includes a picture). Verdcourt, B. (2000) Gleicheniaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Pages 2 - 4. (Includes a picture).