Mohria - Anemiaceae

Mohria marginalis (Savigny) J.P. Roux

Photo: JE. Burrows
South Africa

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

Osmunda marginale Savigny
Osmunda thurifraga Comm. ex Savigny
Mohria crenata Desv.
Mohria thurifraga Sw. var. borbonica Schltdl.
Mohria hirsuta J.P. Roux
Anemia marginalis (Sav.) Christenh.

Common name

Description

Rhizome shortly creeping, up to 3 mm in diameter, irregularly branched; rhizome scales whitish to pale brown, up to 3.3 mm long, linear to narrowly lanceolate in outline, margins entire. Fronds tufted, erect, slightly dimorphic with fertile fronds a bit longer and narrower than sterile fronds. Stipe 1.5-3.6 cm long, strawcoloured, sparsely set with hairs and pale brown scales. Lamina herbaceous, 3.3-18 cm long, narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong or oblanceolate in outline, pinnate to deeply 2-pinnatifid; secondary rhachises narrowly winged. Pinnae opposite to alternate, ovate to lanceolate in outline, circular to reniform towards the lamina apex, upper surface sparsely to densely hairy, lower surface sparsely to densely set with hairs and slender thread-like scales; pinnule distal margins irregularly crenate to bluntly dentate. Rachis densely set with whitish hairs and a few larger, lanceolate scales. Sporangia marginal, under a partially reflexed pinnule margin; exindusiate.

Notes

M. marginalis has long and narrow, less dissected fronds; stipe, rhachis and upper surface of the lamina have filiform scales and hairs.

Derivation

marginalis: edged, probably refering to the marginal sori of this species.

Habitat

Shallow, seasonally moist pockets on sheet rock and at boulder bases in montane grassland, rock crevices.

Distribution worldwide

Africa, Reunion.

Distribution in Africa

Burundi, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia.

Growth form

Lithophytic, terrestrial.

Literature

  • Burrows, J.E. (1990) Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 63. (Includes a picture).
  • Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011) Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide. Struik Nature. Pages 198 - 199. (Includes a picture).
  • Roux, J.P. (1995) Systematic studies in the genus Mohria (Pteridophyta: Anemiaceae). VI. Taxonomic review.Bothalia, 25(1) Pages 2 - 4. (Includes a picture).
  • Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Page 54.
  • 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 52.

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