Edit History
Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm.f.) Bech. subsp aethiopicum [family ASPLENIACEAE]
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Swaziland ferns and fern allies
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Swaziland Ferns and Fern Allies, (2003) Author: J.P. Roux
Names
Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm.f.) Bech. subsp aethiopicum [family ASPLENIACEAE]
Common names
Asplenium adiantoides Lam., Encycl. 2: 309 (1786), non (L.) C.Chr. (1905). Type: Loco incerto, sine coll. s.n. (P, syn.). Asplenium falsum Retz., Observ. bot. 6: 38 (1791). Type: Habitat in Africa, ad Bay Falso, sine coll. s.n. (not located). Asplenium furcatum Thunb., Prodr. pl. cap.: 172 (1800); Sim, Ferns S. Afr.: 152, pl. LXXIX (1892). Type: e Cap b. Spei, C.P. Thunberg s.n. (UPS-THUNB 24806B!, lecto.). Asplenium praemorsum sensu Sim, Ferns S. Afr., 2nd edn: 163, pl. 65 (1915).
aethiopicum = from Africa
Vernacular names: African spleenwort; Afrika tralievaring (Afr.)
Information
Plants terrestrial, epilithic or epiphytic. Rhizome short-creeping, sparsely branched, to 120 mm long, to 5 mm in diameter, closely set with roots, persistent stipe bases and scales, scales chartaceus, atrocastaneus to ferrugineous, clathrate, sessile, subulate, cordate-imbricate, entire, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 9 mm long, to 0.6 mm wide. Fronds closely spaced, arching, to 660 mm long; stipe firm, atrocastaneus to black, adaxially sulcate, to 245 mm long, to 2.5 mm in diameter, densely scaled, scales chartaceus, atrocastaneus to ferrugineous, clathrate, sessile, subulate, cordate-imbricate, entire, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 8 mm long, to 0.6 mm wide; lamina anadromous, to 2-pinnate, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, to 420 mm long, to 105 mm wide, with up to 18 stalked pinna pairs; rachis firm, atrocastaneus to black, sulcate adaxially, initially closely set with scales similar to those on the stipe; pinnae petiolate, petiole to 5 mm long, opposite to alternate, basally slightly more widely spaced, firmly herbaceous, lanceolate, to 70 mm long, to 37 mm wide, with up to 2 pinnule pairs; pinna-rachis sulcate adaxially, sulcus confluent with that of the rachis, initially densely scaled, scales similar to, but smaller than, those on the rachis; pinnules cuneate, trullate or obtrullate, narrowly to broadly cuneate, basiscopically decurrent towards the apex, divided into oblong segments, irregularly dentate, to 25 mm long, to 11 mm wide, adaxially sparsely scaled, scales chartaceus, castaneus, clathrate, sessile, filiform, cordate, entire, often with 2 or more oblong gland-like cells near the base, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 0.3 mm long, abaxially initially moderately scaled, scales chartaceus, ferrugineous, clathrate, sessile, subulate, cordate to cordate-imbricate, usually with several short filiform outgrowths at the base, these generally terminate in an oblong thin-walled cell, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 0.7 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide. Venation obscure, flabellate, terminating in the teeth near the margin. Stomata (36-)47.07(-64) (m long. Sori linear, extending along a vein, to 8.5 mm long; indusium firmly herbaceous, stramineous, linear, entire, attached along the entire length, to 8.5 mm long, to 0.3 mm wide; sporangium long-stalked, simple, uniseriate, 3-seriate below the capsule, capsule globose in lateral view, with (18-)19(-24) indurated annulus cells, epistomium (2-)2(-3)-celled, hypostomium (4-)4(-5)-celled. Spores 64 per sporangium, brown, elliptic, monolete, with low reticulate ridges and prominent wings, (44-)43.73(-54) x (22-)26.72(-34) (m. Chromosome number 2n = 288, octoploid. Figure 46A & B.
Habitat
Ecology: Terrestrial, epilithic or epiphytic, in leaf litter on moist or seasonally moist forest floor, in rock crevices and in shallow humus pockets on boulders in forests, and as epiphytes in deep shade in evergreen forests and forest patches. Not edaphically bound, but in Swaziland the species primarily grows on granite. Hemicryptophyte, mesoxeromorphic; fronds mesoxeromorphic, poikilohydrous. Vegetative reproduction by rhizome branching resulting in the formation of small clonal stands. Seasonal pattern pronounced with new growth more or less restricted to the wetter summer months. Often wilted and dormant during prolonged droughts.
Range
Distribution: Frequent in the western half of Swaziland occurring at altitudes ranging between 1 060 and 1 520 m. The species is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa.
Date Updated: 19 August 2007
Herbarium
South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM)
Collection
Swaziland ferns and fern allies
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Swaziland Ferns and Fern Allies, (2003) Author: J.P. Roux
Names
Asplenium aethiopicum (Burm.f.) Bech. subsp aethiopicum [family ASPLENIACEAE]
Common names
Asplenium adiantoides Lam., Encycl. 2: 309 (1786), non (L.) C.Chr. (1905). Type: Loco incerto, sine coll. s.n. (P, syn.). Asplenium falsum Retz., Observ. bot. 6: 38 (1791). Type: Habitat in Africa, ad Bay Falso, sine coll. s.n. (not located). Asplenium furcatum Thunb., Prodr. pl. cap.: 172 (1800); Sim, Ferns S. Afr.: 152, pl. LXXIX (1892). Type: e Cap b. Spei, C.P. Thunberg s.n. (UPS-THUNB 24806B!, lecto.). Asplenium praemorsum sensu Sim, Ferns S. Afr., 2nd edn: 163, pl. 65 (1915).
aethiopicum = from Africa
Vernacular names: African spleenwort; Afrika tralievaring (Afr.)
Information
Plants terrestrial, epilithic or epiphytic. Rhizome short-creeping, sparsely branched, to 120 mm long, to 5 mm in diameter, closely set with roots, persistent stipe bases and scales, scales chartaceus, atrocastaneus to ferrugineous, clathrate, sessile, subulate, cordate-imbricate, entire, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 9 mm long, to 0.6 mm wide. Fronds closely spaced, arching, to 660 mm long; stipe firm, atrocastaneus to black, adaxially sulcate, to 245 mm long, to 2.5 mm in diameter, densely scaled, scales chartaceus, atrocastaneus to ferrugineous, clathrate, sessile, subulate, cordate-imbricate, entire, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 8 mm long, to 0.6 mm wide; lamina anadromous, to 2-pinnate, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, to 420 mm long, to 105 mm wide, with up to 18 stalked pinna pairs; rachis firm, atrocastaneus to black, sulcate adaxially, initially closely set with scales similar to those on the stipe; pinnae petiolate, petiole to 5 mm long, opposite to alternate, basally slightly more widely spaced, firmly herbaceous, lanceolate, to 70 mm long, to 37 mm wide, with up to 2 pinnule pairs; pinna-rachis sulcate adaxially, sulcus confluent with that of the rachis, initially densely scaled, scales similar to, but smaller than, those on the rachis; pinnules cuneate, trullate or obtrullate, narrowly to broadly cuneate, basiscopically decurrent towards the apex, divided into oblong segments, irregularly dentate, to 25 mm long, to 11 mm wide, adaxially sparsely scaled, scales chartaceus, castaneus, clathrate, sessile, filiform, cordate, entire, often with 2 or more oblong gland-like cells near the base, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 0.3 mm long, abaxially initially moderately scaled, scales chartaceus, ferrugineous, clathrate, sessile, subulate, cordate to cordate-imbricate, usually with several short filiform outgrowths at the base, these generally terminate in an oblong thin-walled cell, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 0.7 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide. Venation obscure, flabellate, terminating in the teeth near the margin. Stomata (36-)47.07(-64) (m long. Sori linear, extending along a vein, to 8.5 mm long; indusium firmly herbaceous, stramineous, linear, entire, attached along the entire length, to 8.5 mm long, to 0.3 mm wide; sporangium long-stalked, simple, uniseriate, 3-seriate below the capsule, capsule globose in lateral view, with (18-)19(-24) indurated annulus cells, epistomium (2-)2(-3)-celled, hypostomium (4-)4(-5)-celled. Spores 64 per sporangium, brown, elliptic, monolete, with low reticulate ridges and prominent wings, (44-)43.73(-54) x (22-)26.72(-34) (m. Chromosome number 2n = 288, octoploid. Figure 46A & B.
Habitat
Ecology: Terrestrial, epilithic or epiphytic, in leaf litter on moist or seasonally moist forest floor, in rock crevices and in shallow humus pockets on boulders in forests, and as epiphytes in deep shade in evergreen forests and forest patches. Not edaphically bound, but in Swaziland the species primarily grows on granite. Hemicryptophyte, mesoxeromorphic; fronds mesoxeromorphic, poikilohydrous. Vegetative reproduction by rhizome branching resulting in the formation of small clonal stands. Seasonal pattern pronounced with new growth more or less restricted to the wetter summer months. Often wilted and dormant during prolonged droughts.
Range
Distribution: Frequent in the western half of Swaziland occurring at altitudes ranging between 1 060 and 1 520 m. The species is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa.
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