Lonchitis x hieronymi Kümmerle

Rhizome erect or shortly creeping. Fronds tufted, 0.6–2.5 m tall, simply pinnate or lowest pinnae with a few free pinnules. Stipe up to 85 cm long, covered with short, pale, dark hairs; base of stipe with dense felt of chestnut brown hairs at least 1 cm long. Lamina ± ovate-triangular in outline, up to 80 cm long and wide; pinnae in ± 10 pairs (1–4 in young plants), alternate or opposite, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate in outline, the upper about 10 x 2 cm, ± sessile, the basal ones about 43 x 15 cm, stalked, variously pinnatifid, tapering to a point at apex, the two apical pairs and terminal part of frond joined at their bases, somewhat bristly pilose-pubescent on venation which is pale and strongly raised beneath; stalks up to 1 cm long. Pinnae with 20–30 pairs of lobes, those of upper pinnae rounded, 0.3–1.5 x 0.7–1.2 cm, those of basal parts of lower pinnae much more elongate, triangular-lanceolate in outline, up to 9 x 1.8 cm, narrowly joined at base, narrowly tapering to a point at apex, slightly crenulate; lowest lobe sometimes elliptic and free; upper parts of lower pinnae with lobing similar to that of upper pinnae. Rhachis with sparse to dense pale or brown hairs. Sori U-shaped in sinuses of small lobes, ± 5 mm long and often additional reniform ones above on one or both margins above sinus; false indusium very evident in young state; in large lobes with or without a sorus at the base of the sinus there can be up to 14 sori on each margin at crenulations.

hieronymi: might be named after Georg Hieronymus, editor of Hedwigia.

Intermediate rain-forest, mist forest.

See African distribution.

Kenya, Tanzania .

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