Species

Vittaria - Adiantaceae

Vittaria elongata Sw.

Photo: P. Ballings
Zimbabwe

Photo: BT. Wursten
Mozambique

Photo: . ©Botanic Garden Meise (BR)
Zimbabwe

Synonyms	Oetosis elongata (Sw.) Greene Vittaria hildenbrandtii Hieron. Vittaria stuhlmannii Hieron.
Common name
Description	Rhizome creeping, branched, 3 mm diameter; rhizome scales very dark brown, 3.6 to 6 mm long, lanceolate, clathrate, hairpointed. Fronds numerous, spaced at 3-20 mm intervals, thinly coracious, hanging. Stipe up to 7 cm long, pale green to strawcoloured when dry. Lamina 20-120 × 0.5-1.3 cm, linear and narrowed into wiry stipe, apex rounded, mucronate, with a hydathode at the tip. Midrib and veins obscure. Sori marginal in a groove formed by two narrow indusialike flanges of the lamina rim. Paraphyses articulated, simple, apical cell turbinate.
Notes	V.elongata differs from other species by having strictly marginal sori and relatively broad fronds.
Derivation	elongata: long, lengthened: referring to the long linear fronds.
Habitat	Low-altitude rain forest, Riparian forest.
Distribution worldwide	Comoro Isl., Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Pemba, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, India and Sri Lanka to Philippines, Polynesia.
Distribution in Africa	Kenya , Mozambique , Tanzania , Zimbabwe .
Growth form	Epiphytic.
Literature	Burrows, J.E. (1990) Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 111 - 112. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 215 - 216. (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 73. Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Page 83. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0 Page 96. (Includes a picture). Verdcourt, B. (1999) Vittariaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Page 6. (Includes a picture).