Home | > | List of families | > | Sinopteridaceae | > | Cheilanthes | > | pentagona |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Rhizome creeping, up to 3 mm in diameter; rhizome scales reddish brown with dark central stripe, lanceolate in outline, margin entire. Fronds closely spaced, erect, herbaceous to coriaceous, grey to midgreen. Stipe dark brown to almost black, up to 15 cm long, glabrous but with few brown scales at the base. Lamina 3.5-11 cm × 3.5-11 cm, strongly pentagonal in outline, 3-pinnatifid to 4-pinnatifid on the basal pinnae; lowest pinnae basiscopically developed. Pinnae with venation apparent on both surfaces, both surfaces glabrous, margins wavy to shallowly lobed. Rhachis very dark brown to almost black, hairless, shiny. Sori small, marginal, discrete; indusium small, discontinuous, pale, subentire to erose, membranous. |
Notes: | Could be confused with C. bergiana or mostly with C. multifida. C. bergiana is lightly hairy, has underground stolons and is a forest species. C. multifida differs in having brown rhizome scales, a lamina that is more dissected (3- to 5-pinnatifid), broadly ovate-deltate in outline and with obscure venation. |
Derivation of specific name: | pentagona: having 5 angles, referring to the pentagonal outline of the fronds. |
Habitat: | At the base of rocks and in crevices or in full sun, on serpentine. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 900 - 1200 m |
Worldwide distribution: | Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N |
Growth form(s): | Lithophyte, terrestrial. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Saturday 24 August 2013 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 152 - 154. (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 404 - 405. (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 9. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 65. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 184. |
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