Species

Pyrrosia - Polypodiaceae

Pyrrosia stolzii (Hieron.) Schelpe

Photo: P. Ballings
Malawi

Synonyms	Niphobolus stolzii Hieron. Cyclophorus stolzii (Hieron.) Hieron.
Common name
Description	Rhizome c. 1.5-3 mm. thick, shortly creeping; rhizome scales dull-brown, lanceolate in outline, up to 2(-5.2) x 0.6-1 mm, subentire below and ciliate above. Frond 0.5-1.5 cm apart, stipitate, carnose-coriaceous. Stipe up to 9 cm long, tomentose at first becoming glabrous with age. Lamina 8-27 x 0.8-3 cm, simple, lanceolate or elliptic to oblanceolate in outline, apex with a sharp and rather abrupt point, base narrowly wedge-shaped to tapering, entire; upper surface subglabrous, lower surface dirty whitish to pale brown, tomentose with two kinds of stellate hairs, the larger with thin straight arms c. 0.7 mm long standing above more numerous smaller hairs with twisted matted arms. Sori apical or extending all over lamina, emerging through the hairs.
Notes
Derivation	stolzii: named after A.F. Stolz (1871-1917), German missionary, merchant and plant collector.
Habitat	In rainforests and cloudforests, moderately to deeply shaded
Distribution worldwide	See African distribution.
Distribution in Africa	Malawi , Tanzania , Zambia .
Growth form	Epiphytic.
Literature	Kornas, J. (1979) Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia. Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych. Page 77. Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Page 98. 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 165. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970) Pteridophyta.Flora Zambesiaca, 0 Pages 147 - 148. Verdcourt, B. (2001) Polypodiaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Page 9.