Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H. Itô

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Photo: Petra Ballings
Edge of Aberfoyle Golf course

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Synonyms:	Cyclosorus gogylodes sensu Alston Nephrodium unitum sensu Sim Thelypteris interrupta (Willd.) K. Iwats. Thelypteris totta (Thunb.) Schelpe
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Rhizome widely creeping, up to 6 mm in diameter; rhizome scales sparse, black, narrowly ovate, entire, up to 1.5 mm long. Fronds spaced up to 12 cm apart, erect, not proliferous, herbaceous, in full sun texture stiff, leathery. Stipe up to 93 cm long, pale brown, glabrous to minutely hairy, with a few black scales at the base. Lamina up to 0.8 m long, ovate-lanceolate in outline, 2-pinnatifid, lower pinnae largest or of equal size as those above, only rarely very slightly reduced in size. Pinnae very narrowly oblong, shortly petiolate to sessile, base truncate, incised a third of the way to halfway to the costa; veins 7-15 pairs per lobe, basal pair of veins anastomosing well below the sinus, next pair meeting at the sinus; under surface hairless or set with white hairs, particularly along the costae, costules and veins, with or without pale brown scales on the costae, also sometimes distinct red glands below, upper surface hairless. Rhachis pale brown, hairless to thinly covered with short hairs. Sori round, up to 18 per lobe, typically forming a zigzag pattern along each side of the costa; indusiate small, hairy, often shed early.
Notes:	Found together with Thelypteris confluens that has veins that are not anastomosing, small scales on costae below, herbaceous, pinnatifid pinnae. Cyclosorus interruptus look for: 1 pair of veins meeting well below and 1 pair meeting at the sinus, zigzag soral pattern, leathery pinnae that are incised a third to halfway to the costa.
Derivation of specific name:	interruptus: interrupted, broken-up; unclear, referring to the spaced-out fronds on the rhizome or to describe the regularly incised pattern created by the pinnae lobes.
Habitat:	Marsh fern, depending on continuously wet soils or surface water, growing in grassland swamps, Papyrus and Phragmites swamps, along river- and streambanks, in full sun or shade of fringing trees.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1300 m
Worldwide distribution:	Southern Africa, temperate and tropical Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, south and central America as far north as Florida.
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,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 10 February 2013
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 259 - 260. As Thelypteris interrupta (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 96. Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 674 - 675. (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 15. Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 Page 84. Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 561. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 396 - 397. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Pages 91 - 92. As Thelypteris interrupta 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 10. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 115. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 204 - 205. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Pages 198 - 199. As Thelypteris totta (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 16. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 179.

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Flora of Botswana: Cyclosorus interruptus
Flora of Burundi: Cyclosorus interruptus
Flora of Caprivi: Cyclosorus interruptus
Flora of Malawi: Cyclosorus interruptus
Flora of Mozambique: Cyclosorus interruptus
Flora of Rwanda: Cyclosorus interruptus
Flora of Zambia: Cyclosorus interruptus

External websites:

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