Pteris catoptera Kunze

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Pteris catoptera

Photo: Bart Wursten
Moribane Forest

Pteris catoptera

Photo: Petra Ballings
Vumba

Pteris catoptera

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mt. Gorongosa, forest Canda side

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Synonyms: Pteris catoptera Retz. var. horridula Schelpe
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Rhizome erect or procumbent, up to 10 mm in diameter; rhizome scales dark brown, linear, 3-4 mm long, margins ciliate. Fronds tufted, arching. Stipe strawcoloured, up to 90 cm long, shiny, glabrous except for few brown scales near base and sometimes with scattered spines. Lamina oblong to ovate in outline, up to 90 × 60 cm, 2-pinnatifid in upper part, 3-pinnatifid lower down with basal pair of pinnae strongly basiscopically developed into 1-3 subpinnae, glabrous. Ultimate lobes thinly textured, linear to oblong, apex rounded, margins entire to subentire; veins free. Rhachis strawcoloured, glabrous, smooth or spiny, ventrally grooved; costae and costules on upper surface with fine spines. Sori in marginal line for most of the length of the fertile lobes; indusium narrow, membranous.
Notes: Pteris dentata and Pteris buchananii have crenate-serrate lobe apices; Pteris friesii does not have spines on the costules above and on the veins below.
Derivation of specific name: kato: below, pteros: winged; the basal pair of pinnae is basiscopically developed: an allusion to its wing-like appearance.
Habitat: Terrestrial in evergreen forest.
Altitude range: (metres) Up to 2200 m
Worldwide distribution: South Africa into tropical Africa, Madagascar, Comoro Isl.
Zimbabwe distribution: N,E
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 2 December 2012
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 163 - 164. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 87.

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 40. as Pteris catoptera catoptera

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 46. As Pteris quadriaurita catoptera

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 324 - 325. (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 14.

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. Pages 240 - 242. (Includes a picture).

Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 68.

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 9.

Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 78. (Includes a picture).

Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 170 - 171.

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 118. (Includes a picture).

Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 80.


Other sources of information about Pteris catoptera:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Pteris catoptera
Flora of Malawi: Pteris catoptera
Flora of Mozambique: Pteris catoptera
Flora of Zambia: Pteris catoptera

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Pteris catoptera.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=101070, retrieved 28 March 2024

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