Notholaena perlanata Pic.Serm.

Rhizome at an angle or subhorizontal, short, densely set with scales, bearing several leaves crowded at the apex, and sending out many roots endowed with very short branches and strongly hairy; rhizome scales erect, very long linear-triangular in outline more or less curved, with narrow cells, rectangular with a thickened apex, tapering upward with a short hair, margin scarcely minutely denticulate, 3.5-4 x 0.15-0.25 mm, membranous, minutely rusty-spotted. Fronds monomorphic, tufted, to 12 cm long, not proliferous, densely woolly everywhere, pinnately divided. Stipe smooth, lamina scarcely or twice as long, pale or shiny brown, at the bottom of the base bearing scales similar to those of the rhizome but longer, narrower and hairy at the tip, then upwards with multi-jointed, open, flexible, pinkish-honey hairs up to 4 mm long, very densely woolly, finally becoming more or less bald with age, circular or oval in cross-section, without grooves or ridges. Lamina pinnately ternate with much smaller intermediate basal pinnae, very variable in size and scope, ovate or broadly ovate or ovate-rhombic with a cordate base, 15-40 x 12-32 mm, densely woolly on both sides with soft, flexuous, intertwined hairs; pinnae of the lower jugal are distinctly separated from the intermediate pinnae by a distinct subterete bar, oblong or ovate in outline, very asymmetric basiscopically developed, apex obtuse, base subsessile, intermediate pinnae pinnatifid or pinnatipartite, ovate or ovate-rhombic in outline, base wedge-shaped, apex obtuse or rounded, pinnules opposite, joined to each other by the wings gradually becoming wider, margin lobed or slightly rounded, apex rounded. Sori distinct, with claviform receptacles, set at the tips of the smallest veins; pseudoindusia obscure.

Dry rock outcrops.

See African distribution.

Burundi, Congo, Dem. Republic of Congo, Zambia.

Lithophytic.