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Dryopteris athamantica
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Along path to Mt Binga above “Mosquito Camp”, Chimanimani National Reserve
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| Synonyms: |
Aspidium athamanticum Kunze Lastrea athamantica (Kunze) T.Moore Lastrea plantii T.Moore Nephrodium athamanticum (Kunze) Hook. Nephrodium eurylepium Peter |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | Common |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Rhizome creeping, up to 25 mm in diameter; rhizome scales reddish-brown, narrowly lanceolate to linear, up to 22 mm long, margins with or without filamentous outgrows. Fronds tufted, erect, rigid, subcoriaceous. Stipe up to 37 cm long, straw-coloured, grooved, with scales similar to the rhizome towards the base. Lamina up to 75 × 27 cm, narrowly ovate-oblong to lanceolate in outline, 3-pinnatifid to 3-pinnate, basal pinnae hardly reduced. Pinnae up to 25 × 12 cm, usually forming an angle of less than 50° from the rhachis, narrowly triangular-oblong in outline, subglabrous on both surfaces. Pinnules narrowly oblong-lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid into oblong, obtuse ultimate lobes with shallowly crenate to subentire margins. Rhachis straw-coloured with a few hair-like, reddish-brown scales. Sori round, c. 1 mm in diameter, 1-3 per ultimate segment; indusia round to kidney-shaped, membranous, entire or slightly dentate. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | Could be confused with the sun form of D. pentheri which has an ovate-triangular lamina, pinnae angled at 70-80° from the rhachis and pinnules that are ovate to round-oblong in outline. |
| Derivation of specific name: | athamantis: brightness; this may refer to the preference of this species for sunny open habitats. |
| Habitat: | Around boulder bases or at scrub margins in montane grassland, in ditches, along roads, exposed areas in full sun. |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 800 - 2200 m |
| Worldwide distribution: | Tropical to subtropical Africa. |
| National distribution: | N,Z,T,MS |
| Growth form(s): | Terrestrial. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Sunday 22 December 2019 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 300 - 302. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 98. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 28. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 23. Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 472 - 473. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 10. Fischer E. & Lobin W. (2024). Checklist of Lycopodiopsida (clubmosses and quillworts) and Polypodiopsida (ferns) of Rwanda. Willdenowia 53(3) Page 161. Fischer, E. & Killmann, D. (2008). Illustrated Field guide to the Plants of Nyungwe National Park Rwanda. University of Koblenz-Landau. Page 92. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 433 - 435. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 107. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 6. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 31. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 127. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 120. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 221. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 78. |
Other sources of information about Dryopteris athamantica:
Our websites:
Flora of Burundi: Dryopteris athamanticaFlora of Malawi: Dryopteris athamantica
Flora of Rwanda: Dryopteris athamantica
Flora of Zambia: Dryopteris athamantica
Flora of Zimbabwe: Dryopteris athamantica
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Dryopteris athamanticaBHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Dryopteris athamantica
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Dryopteris athamantica
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Dryopteris athamantica
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Dryopteris athamantica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Dryopteris athamantica
JSTOR Plant Science: Dryopteris athamantica
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Dryopteris athamantica
Plants of the World Online: Dryopteris athamantica
Tropicos: Dryopteris athamantica
Wikipedia: Dryopteris athamantica
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