Home | > | List of families | > | Lomariopsidaceae | > | Elaphoglossum | > | deckenii |
Synonyms: |
Acrostichum deckenii Kuhn Elaphoglossum hirtum C.Chr. var. giganteum Bonap. Elaphoglossum ruwenzorii Pirotta |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | Rare |
Status: | |
Description: |
Rhizome short creeping, up to 2.5 mm in diameter; rhizome scales 3-4 mm long, dark brown to black, shining, lanceolate, ciliate. Fronds clustered, erect or arching, firmly herbaceous, dimorphous. Sterile frond: stipe up to 20 cm long, straw-coloured, grooved, densely set with lanceolate, pale brown, ciliate scales; lamina up to 12-40 × 2.5-5 mm, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate in outline, apex tapering to a point, base wedge-shaped, margin entire, thinly set with ovate, pale brown, ciliate scales on both surfaces. Fertile frond: stipe c. 16 cm long, covered with scales similar to the sterile frond; lamina up to 10-21 × 1-2 cm, linear-lanceolate in outline with the two sides conspicuously reflexed backwards, set with ciliate scales similar to those on the sterile frond on the upper surface and along the midrib below; sori covering the whole undersurface of the lamina. |
Notes: | Differs from E. kuhnii by having black rhizome scales. |
Derivation of specific name: | deckenii: this fern was first collected in Tanzania by Baron Carl von Decken (1833-1865), a German explorer. |
Habitat: | Only found on the wet eastern slopes of Mt. Inyangani. It grows as an epiphyte in Afrocrania volkensia/Cyathea manniana mist forest. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 1850 - 2000 m |
Worldwide distribution: | DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Comoro islands and Réunion. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | Epiphyte, lithophyte. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | Lower Risk - least concern |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Sunday 27 May 2012 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 288 - 289. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 97. Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 175. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 425 - 426. (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 Pages 127 - 128. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 215. |
Home | > | List of families | > | Lomariopsidaceae | > | Elaphoglossum | > | deckenii |