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Actiniopteris radiata (J.König ex Sw.) Link [family PTERIDACEAE]
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
Actiniopteris radiata (J.König ex Sw.) Link [family PTERIDACEAE]
Common names
Actiniopteris australis sensu Sim, Ferns S. Afr., 2nd edn: 150, pl. 34, fig. 2 (1915).
radiata = radial
Vernacular names: Fan-leaved fern; Waaierblaarvaring (Afr.)
Information
Plants terrestrial or epilithic. Rhizome short-decumbent, closely branched, to 2 mm in diameter, closely set with roots, persistent stipe bases and bicolorous scales, scales with a crustaceous, black to castaneus central stripe, nitid, and ferrugineus to stramineous, chartaceus to membranous margins, sessile, linear to narrowly lanceolate, base somewhat round-auricled, cordate, entire to repand, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 4 mm long, to 1 mm wide. Fronds crowded, erect, caespitose, homomorphic, to 160 mm long; stipe firm, proximally brown, green higher up, narrowly winged along entire length, shallowly sulcate adaxially, to 130 mm long, to 1.2 mm in diameter, sparsely scaled, scales thin-chartaceus, concolorous, stramineous, sessile, linear-hastate, entire or irregularly set with short marginal outgrowths, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 3 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide; lamina anadromous, firmly herbaceous, flabellate, edges forming an angle of 150-180°, divided into 2 symmetrical halves by a deep median notch, each to 4 times dichotomously branched, to 32 mm long, muricate adaxially, abaxially initially sparsely set with scales similar to, but smaller than, those on the stipe, lamina declinate when desiccated; segments up to 48 per lamina, linear, of variable length, to 1.2 mm wide, each ending in 3 or 4 acute teeth. Venation adaxially obscure, raised abaxially, dichotomously forked, ending in the teeth. Sori linear, along outer segment veins; receptacle nude; sporangium stalk simple, 3-seriate below capsule, capsule broadly elliptic in lateral view, with (17-)19(-20) indurated annulus cells, epistomium (5-)6(-7)-celled, hypostomium (5-)6(-6)-celled; indusium membranous, continuous along segment margin, entire. Spores trilete, tetrahedral-globose, with an equatorial flange, proximal face verrucuose, distal face hemispherical, rugate, (46-)56.2(-60) (m in diameter. Figure 15C.
Habitat
Ecology: Epilithic or epiphytic, in rock crevices, at boulder bases, in shallow soil pockets overlaying sheet rock, and among low scrub, in seasonally moist conditions. Exposed or in light shade. Not edaphically bound, but in Swaziland the species is confined to basaltic soils. Hemicryptophyte, xerophyte; fronds mesoxeromorphic, poikilohydrous. Vegetative reproduction by the short and closely branched rhizome results in the plants forming small clonal stands. Seasonal pattern pronounced, fertile fronds are produced during the rainy season (December to April), usually dormant during the dry winter months.
Range
Distribution: In Swaziland the species is known from the northern parts of the Lubombo mountains only, occurring at altitudes ranging from 120 to 170 m. The species is widespread in the drier parts of east- and south tropical Africa, southern Africa, Egypt, Macaronesia, Afghanistan, Arabia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Yemen and Madagascar.
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
Actiniopteris radiata (J.König ex Sw.) Link [family PTERIDACEAE]
Common names
Actiniopteris australis sensu Sim, Ferns S. Afr., 2nd edn: 150, pl. 34, fig. 2 (1915).
radiata = radial
Vernacular names: Fan-leaved fern; Waaierblaarvaring (Afr.)
Information
Plants terrestrial or epilithic. Rhizome short-decumbent, closely branched, to 2 mm in diameter, closely set with roots, persistent stipe bases and bicolorous scales, scales with a crustaceous, black to castaneus central stripe, nitid, and ferrugineus to stramineous, chartaceus to membranous margins, sessile, linear to narrowly lanceolate, base somewhat round-auricled, cordate, entire to repand, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 4 mm long, to 1 mm wide. Fronds crowded, erect, caespitose, homomorphic, to 160 mm long; stipe firm, proximally brown, green higher up, narrowly winged along entire length, shallowly sulcate adaxially, to 130 mm long, to 1.2 mm in diameter, sparsely scaled, scales thin-chartaceus, concolorous, stramineous, sessile, linear-hastate, entire or irregularly set with short marginal outgrowths, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 3 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide; lamina anadromous, firmly herbaceous, flabellate, edges forming an angle of 150-180°, divided into 2 symmetrical halves by a deep median notch, each to 4 times dichotomously branched, to 32 mm long, muricate adaxially, abaxially initially sparsely set with scales similar to, but smaller than, those on the stipe, lamina declinate when desiccated; segments up to 48 per lamina, linear, of variable length, to 1.2 mm wide, each ending in 3 or 4 acute teeth. Venation adaxially obscure, raised abaxially, dichotomously forked, ending in the teeth. Sori linear, along outer segment veins; receptacle nude; sporangium stalk simple, 3-seriate below capsule, capsule broadly elliptic in lateral view, with (17-)19(-20) indurated annulus cells, epistomium (5-)6(-7)-celled, hypostomium (5-)6(-6)-celled; indusium membranous, continuous along segment margin, entire. Spores trilete, tetrahedral-globose, with an equatorial flange, proximal face verrucuose, distal face hemispherical, rugate, (46-)56.2(-60) (m in diameter. Figure 15C.
Habitat
Ecology: Epilithic or epiphytic, in rock crevices, at boulder bases, in shallow soil pockets overlaying sheet rock, and among low scrub, in seasonally moist conditions. Exposed or in light shade. Not edaphically bound, but in Swaziland the species is confined to basaltic soils. Hemicryptophyte, xerophyte; fronds mesoxeromorphic, poikilohydrous. Vegetative reproduction by the short and closely branched rhizome results in the plants forming small clonal stands. Seasonal pattern pronounced, fertile fronds are produced during the rainy season (December to April), usually dormant during the dry winter months.
Range
Distribution: In Swaziland the species is known from the northern parts of the Lubombo mountains only, occurring at altitudes ranging from 120 to 170 m. The species is widespread in the drier parts of east- and south tropical Africa, southern Africa, Egypt, Macaronesia, Afghanistan, Arabia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Yemen and Madagascar.
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