Home | > | List of families | > | Lomariopsidaceae | > | Elaphoglossum | > | aubertii |
Synonyms: |
Acrostichum aubertii Desv. Acrostichum boivinii Mett. ex Kuhn Elaphoglossum aubertii T. Moore var. reductum Bonap. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | |
Description: |
Rhizome short creeping to suberect, 3-8 mm in diameter; rhizome scales brown, lanceolate, entire, pointed. Fronds tufted, thinly herbaceous, erect or arching, simple, strongly dimorphous. Sterile fronds: stipe up to 14 cm long, straminous to pale brown, with persistent twisted squarose scales; lamina 20-40 × 1.5-2.5 cm, linear or very narrowly elliptic in outline, apex tapering to a point, base gradually tapering and then broadly wedge-shaped to the stipe, margins entire or slightly wavy with sparse brown scales, margins also with a continuous row of small dot-like hydathodes situated c. 1mm from the margin; midrib with scales similar to those of the stipe. Fertile fronds: stipe mostly double but up to five times as long as the stipes of the sterile fronds; lamina 6-10 × 1.7-2mm, resembling a spearhead, apex rounded to pointed, base square or truncate, entirely covered by sporangia on the underside. |
Notes: | Can be confused with E. hybridum; this species however has a continuous hair-like fringe of dark scales along the margin, the row of hydathodes is absent. |
Derivation of specific name: | aubertii: this fern was first collected on Réunion by a French naturalist called Aubert du Petit-Thouars (1758-1831) |
Habitat: | It grows on mossy boulders or on wet rock in deep shade in evergreen forest at high altitudes. |
Altitude range: | 1300 - 2250 m |
Worldwide distribution: | This species is Afro-Malagasy in distribution, being at home in the higher African mountains of tropical and southern subtropical Africa, as well as in Malagasy and on the Comoro and Mascarene islands. |
Mozambique distribution: | MS |
Growth form(s): | Epiphyte, lithophyte. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Sunday 17 November 2013 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 291. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 97. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 34. 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 510 - 511. (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 11. Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 25. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Page 421. (Includes a picture). 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 7. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 150. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 126. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 213. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 78. |
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