Marsilea ephippiocarpa Alston

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Photo: Petra Ballings
SRGH

Photo: Bart Wursten
Rd. To Chicoma vlei, Harare

Photo: Petra Ballings
Corner Groombridge Rd. And Wycombe Av. Harare

Photo: Petra Ballings
Road from Zhishavane to Bulawayo

Photo: Petra Ballings
From Zhishavane to Bulawayo

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:
Common names:
Frequency:	Rare
Status:	Native
Description:	Floating form: stipe up to 30 cm long, hairless; leaflets broadly obovate, outer margin entire to irregular, hairless, under surface often with thin dark streaks. Dry land form: fronds clustered, stipe up to c. 15 cm long, leaflets outer margins irregularly incised or wavy, hairless. Sporocarps: in compact clusters of 3-10 at the nodes, dark brown, 2-3.5 mm long, 2-4 mm high, 0.5-1.5 mm thick, saddle-shaped, upper side deeply concave, lower side rounded, lateral surfaces concave, oblong-elliptic in vertical cross-section; hairless when mature; lateral ribs not visible in mature specimens; lower tooth absent, upper tooth present, acute; pedicels adnate, a peduncle-like base branching dichotomously, peduncle up to 6mm, arising from the axil or the base of the stipe.
Notes:	Recognizable by its large number of sporocarps arranged in tight clusters. Differs from M. fenestra by having sporocarps with consistently branched pedicels and leaves that are have no translucent streaks.
Derivation of specific name:	ephippiocarpa: "saddle-shaped fruit", referring to the lateral view of the sporocarp.
Habitat:	Seasonally flooded areas, lake edges, streams and pans, or streams that dry up in the dry season.
Altitude range:	Up to 1200 m
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	GI,M
Growth form(s):	Aquatic, terrestrial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 70. (Includes a picture). Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 236 - 237. (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 12. Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 Page 76. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 478 - 479. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Pages 120 - 121. 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 8. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 175. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 56. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 62. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 15.

Other sources of information about Marsilea ephippiocarpa:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Flora of Caprivi: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Flora of Zambia: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Flora of Zimbabwe: Marsilea ephippiocarpa

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Marsilea ephippiocarpa
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Marsilea ephippiocarpa
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Marsilea ephippiocarpa
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Marsilea ephippiocarpa
JSTOR Plant Science: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Plants of the World Online: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Tropicos: Marsilea ephippiocarpa
Wikipedia: Marsilea ephippiocarpa