Cheilanthes viridis (Forssk.) Sw.
var. glauca (Sim) Schelpe & N.C. Anthony

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (21)

Photo: Bart Wursten
Quarry kopje, Cleveland Dam.

Photo: Petra Ballings
Path from entrance gate to Great Enclosure, Great Zimbabwe

Photo: Petra Ballings
Muturikwi CL, Muray MacDonald Drive

Photo: Petra Ballings
Near the lodges, close to the lake, Lake Kyle Recreational Park

Photo: Petra Ballings
Nyanga area

Photo: Petra Ballings
Nyahokwe, Nyanga

Photo: Petra Ballings
Castleburn Cliffs, Vumba

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hillside dams, Bulawayo

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

Synonyms:	Pellaea hastata (L.f.) Link var. glauca Sim Pellaea viridis (Forssk.) Prantl var. glauca (Sim) Sim
Common names:
Frequency:	Common
Status:	Native
Description:	Rhizome short, creeping, c.5 mm in diameter; rhizome scales lanceolate, brown to rust-coloured with dark brown central stripe, apex slowly tapering to a point, margin minutely toothed, up to 3 mm long. Fronds tufted, erect to arching, blue to pale green, thinly coriaceous. Stipe dark brown to blackish, shining, up to 33 cm long, longer or shorter than the lamina, grooved, set with scattered scales, more so towards the base. Lamina varying in size, shape and dissection; up to 20 cm × 8 cm, lanceolate to deltate or triangular in outline, mostly 2-pinnate to 4-pinnatifid, lower pinnae slightly basiscopically developed. Pinnules ovate-oblong in outline, apex rounded to slightly pointed, margin entire to minutely crenate, venation free, distinct, both surfaces hairless. Rhachis and secondary rhachis dark brown to black, deeply grooved with wings a paler chestnut colour, set with scattered, appressed hairlike scales, not pubescent in the axils. Sori marginal; indusium continuous, membranous, erose.
Notes:	May be mistaken for C. virides var. viridis or C. involuta. C. viridis var. viridis has a rhachis that is broadly grooved, the base of the secondary rhachis and petiolules are set with short hairs. C. involuta var. obscura differs in having a rhachis that is broadly grooved, a dark chestnut-coloured stipe and veins that are hardly visible.
Derivation of specific name:	viridis: green, glauca: grey-green; referring to the colour of the lamina.
Habitat:	Among rocks in woodland, in grassland and open outcrops, occasionally on the edges of forest or scrub.
Altitude range: (metres)	500 - 1800 m
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in South Africa and east tropical Africa, also in Angola and Mauritius.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,C,E,S
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:	Sunday 1 September 2013
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 146 - 148. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 88. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 13. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 8. Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 394 - 395. (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. Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 Pages 81 - 82. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 286 - 287. As P. viridis var. glauca (Sim) Sim (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 59. As P. viridis var. glauca (Sim) Sim 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 67. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 186. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 135. As P. viridis var. glauca (Sim) Sim Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 15. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 80.

Other sources of information about Cheilanthes viridis var. glauca:

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Flora of Botswana: Cheilanthes viridis var. glauca
Flora of Malawi: Cheilanthes viridis var. glauca
Flora of Mozambique: Cheilanthes viridis var. glauca
Flora of Zambia: Cheilanthes viridis var. glauca

External websites:

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