Entry From
Swaziland Ferns and Fern Allies, (2003) Author: J.P. Roux
Information
Plants terrestrial or epilithic. Rhizome short, erect, to 30 mm long, to 10 mm in diameter, set with roots, crowded persistent stipe bases and scales, scales chartaceus, dull brown, clathrate, sessile, oblong-cuneate, cordate to cordate-imbricate, margins regularly set with short and long filiform outgrowths terminating in an enlarged obovate thin-walled cell, usually with a few glandular cells near the point of attachment, apex terminates in an enlarged obovate thin-walled cell, to 13 mm long, to 1.5 mm wide. Fronds crowded, caespitose, suberect to arching, to 740 mm long; stipe firm, castaneus, adaxially sulcate, to 200 mm long, to 4 mm in diameter, initially closely scaled, scales chartaceus, dark brown, clathrate, sessile, linear to filiform, cordate to cordate-imbricate, margins regularly set with short and long filiform outgrowths terminating in an enlarged obovate thin-walled cell, to 5 mm long, to 0.2 mm wide; lamina anadromous, 1-pinnate, elliptic, to 530 mm long, to 280 mm wide, with up to 14 petiolated pinna pairs; rachis firm, adaxially sulcate, green, brown abaxially, sparsely set with scales similar to those on the stipe; pinnae petiolate, petiole to 2 mm long, opposite to alternate, basally more widely spaced than apically, the 2-3 basal pairs generally gradually reduced, firmly herbaceous, inaequilaterally oblong-cuneate to narrowly lanceolate, acroscopically truncate to broadly cuneate, basiscopically narrowly cuneate, dentate, to 150 mm long, to 25 mm wide, adaxially glabrous, abaxially with scattered scales along the costa and veins, scales chartaceus, castaneus, sessile, filiform, with short filiform outgrowths and enlarged thin-walled cells at the point of attachment, apex terminates in an enlarged oblong thin-walled cell, to 1.5 mm long, to 0.4 mm wide; costa adaxially raised, convex. Venation evident, pinnately branched, branches forked, ending in the teeth near the margin. Sori linear, inframedial, extending along a vein, to 4 mm long; indusium firmly herbaceous, stramineous, linear, entire, attached along the entire length, to 4 mm long, to 0.3 m wide; sporangium long-stalked, uniseriate, 3-seriate below the capsule, capsule globose to broadly elliptic in lateral view, annulus with (16-)18(-19) indurated annulus cells, epistomium (2-)3(-3)-celled, hypostomium (3-)4(-4)-celled. Spores 64 per sporangium, brown, broadly elliptic, monolete, perispore forms broad reticulate wings, exospore (34-)35.5(-38) x (24-)26.8(-30) (m. Figure 47A & B.
Habitat
Ecology: Terrestrial or epilitic, in moist evergreen forests, usually on rocks in or near perennial streams. Not edaphically bound, but in Swaziland the species is confined to the greenstone belt. Nanophanerophyte, mesophyte; fronds mesomorphic. Vegetative reproduction sporadic and then through the closely branched rhizome. Seasonal pattern apparently nonexistent, no dormant period.