Pteris muricella Fée

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Photo: Petra Ballings
By road to Chirinda Forest camp site

Photo: Petra Ballings
Chirinda Forest

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

Synonyms:	Hypolepis pteridioides Hook. Pteris brevisora Baker Pteris pteridioides (Hook.) Ballard
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Rhizome erect, up to 10 mm in diameter; rhizome scales lanceolate to narrowly ovate, brown, up to 5 mm long, entire. Fronds tufted, arching, herbaceous. Stipe up to 75 cm long, strawcoloured to pale brown, glabrous with a few scales near the base. Lamina up to 1 × 0.9 m, deltoid to pentagonal in outline with 5 main radiating axes, 2-to 3-pinnatifid, basal pair of pinnae basiscopically developed. Ultimate lobes pinnatifid, oblong, apices rounded, margins lobed in the upper half; veins free, no veins anastomosing below the sinus; glabrous on both surfaces, with spines present on the costae and costules on the uppersurface only. Rhachis glabrous, smooth. Sori linear, continuous, marginal; indusia entire, continuous.
Notes:	The pentagonal lamina with 5 radiating axes makes this species easy to recognize.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	Deeply shaded forest floor.
Altitude range:	1060 - 1180 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespreak in tropical Africa, Madagascar.
Mozambique distribution:
Growth form:
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 163. as Pteris pteridioides (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 237 - 239. as Pteris pteridiodes (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 79. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 174 - 175. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta FZ Page 117. as Pteris pteridioides

Other sources of information about Pteris muricella:

Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Pteris muricella
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Pteris muricella
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Pteris muricella
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Pteris muricella
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Pteris muricella
JSTOR Plant Science: Pteris muricella
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Pteris muricella
Tropicos: Pteris muricella
West African Plants database: Pteris muricella