| Home | > | List of families | > | Dennstaedtiaceae | > | Pteridium | > | aquilinum |
Pteridium aquilinum
capense
Images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record
Photo: Bart Wursten
Cleveland Dam, Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Cleveland Dam, Harare
Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba, Chinyakwaremba
Photo: Petra Ballings
BR
Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba, Vumba road near Jevington Road
Photo: Bart Wursten
Domboshawa
Photo: Petra Ballings
Road from Mt Selinda to Espungabera border post
Records and maps: Display species records Map species using Google Maps
Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Allosorus capensis (Thunb.) Pappe & Rawson Allosorus coriifolius (Kunze) Pappe & Rawson Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn var. lanuginosum (Willd.) Kuhn Pteris capensis Thunb. Pteris coriifolia Kunze |
| Common names: | Bracken (English) |
| Frequency: | Locally abundant |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Rhizome widely creeping, subterranean, 5-10 mm in diameter; scales brown, very fine, up to 1 mm long. Fronds widely spaced, stiff, hard, erect, pubescent fronds, 0.5-1.75 m tall, often forming large, dominant colonies in suitable habitats. Stipe up to 0.5 m long, underground portion swollen and covered with fine, brown hairs, above-ground portion pale-green, glabrous. Lamina 3-pinnatifid to 4-pinnate, triangular in outline. Pinnae standing out from the rhachis horizontally at nearly right angles; basal pinnae half as long as the frond; pinnae in the upper half 3-pinnatifid. Pinnules deeply incised, joined to the costules, with apices that are not long and narrow. Sori linear, continuous, situated just inside the inrolled margins; pseudo-indusium continuous. |
| Notes: | The rhizomes of this fern are fire resistant and after periods of frost or drought, the dried, brittle fronds may persist for some time. New fronds will develop soon after the start of the rains, showing the typical "fiddleheads" of the unfolding fronds. It forms extensive colonies. |
| Derivation of specific name: | aquilinum: of an eagle; either because the spreading pinnae resemble the wings of an aegle or a reference to the shape of the vascular bundle in the stipe.
capense: of the Cape |
| Habitat: | In open scrub, forest edges, confined to high rainfall areas. |
| Altitude range: | Up to 2000 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | This subspecies is widespread in tropical Africa & South Africa, also in Madagascar, Mauritius and Réunion. The species as a whole is one of the most cosmopolitan fern species. |
| Mozambique distribution: | N,Z,T,MS,GI,M |
| Growth form: | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects (whose larvae eat this species): | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Content last updated: | Thursday 8 December 2011 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 103 - 104. under subsp. aquilinum (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 284 - 285. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 208 - 209. described under subsp. aquilinum (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Pages 82 - 83. Under subsp. aquilinum 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 6. under subsp. aquilinum Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Pages 89 - 90. under subsp. aquilinum (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 112. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta FZ Pages 88 - 89. under subsp. aquilinum |
Other sources of information about Pteridium aquilinum:
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Pteridium aquilinum
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Pteridium aquilinum
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Pteridium aquilinum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Pteridium aquilinum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Pteridium aquilinum
JSTOR Plant Science: Pteridium aquilinum
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Pteridium aquilinum
Tropicos: Pteridium aquilinum
West African Plants database: Pteridium aquilinum
| Home | > | List of families | > | Dennstaedtiaceae | > | Pteridium | > | aquilinum |