Deparia - Woodsiaceae

Deparia boryana (Willd.) M. Kato

Photo: P. Ballings
Zimbabwe

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

Dryoathyrium boryanum (Willd.) Ching
Lunathyrium boryanum (Willd.) H. Ohba
Aspidium boryanum Willd.
Dryopteris boryanum (Willd.) C.Chr.
Athyrium glabratum (Mett. ex Kuhn) Alston
Aspidium glabratum Mett. ex Kuhn
Dryopteris glabrata (Mett. ex Kuhn) Kuntze

Common name

Description

Rhizome erect, ascending or horizontal with upturned apex, with a short caudex; rhizome scales narrowly ovate in outline, apex gradually tapering to a point, (sub)entire, 5-12 x 5-7 mm, pale brown. Fronds monomorphic, tufted, arching, 0.6-2 m tall, herbaceous. Stipe up to 1 m long, strawcoloured, smooth except for pale brown scales similar to those of the rhizome near the base. Lamina 3-pinnate to 4-pinnatifid, up to 1.2 m × 0.7 m, narrowly ovate in outline, basal pinnae hardly reduced; pinnae shortly petiolate, oblong-lanceolate in outline, apex gradually tapering to a point, 13-44 x 7-22 cm, divided into 15-20 pairs of pinnules, basal pinnules somewhat reduced; pinnules subsessile, oblong-acuminate in outline, base truncate, 3-12.5 x 0.8-3 cm, 2-pinnatifid, cut to the costules into narrowly oblong, rounded secondary pinnules, margins deeply serrate-crenate, glabrous on both surfaces, except for minute, scattered, brown hairs on costules and veins; veins free; rhachis pale brown. Sori 4-13 per lobe, round, 0.6 mm in diameter; indusium minute or up to 0.8 mm wide, (sub)entire, circular, membranous.

Notes

Derivation

boryanum: named after a French botanist, J.B.M. Bory de St. Vincent (1780-1846).

Habitat

Deeply shaded streambanks in wet evergreen forest, often where there is a break in the canopy thus allowing slightly more light; also in bamboo zone and in mist forest.

Distribution worldwide

Paleotropic

Distribution in Africa

Cameroon, Dem. Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania , Uganda, Zimbabwe.

Growth form

Terrestrial.

Literature

  • Burrows, J.E. (1990) Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 278 - 279. As Dryoathyrium boryanum (Includes a picture).
  • Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983) The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Page 411. As Dryoathyrium boryanum (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 216.
  • Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Page 139. (Includes a picture).
  • Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0 Pages 207 - 208. As Dryoathyrium boryanum (Includes a picture).
  • Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. (1964) Ptéridophytes vol.3.Flore du Cameroun, Page 232. As Athyrium glabratum (Mett. ex Kuhn) Alston (Includes a picture).
  • Verdcourt, B. (2003) Woodsiaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Pages 2 - 4. As Dryoathyrium boryanum (Willd.) Ching (Includes a picture).
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