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Microsorum scolopendria
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Photo: Petra Ballings
Old power station, Nyahode river, road to Rusitu
Photo: Petra Ballings
Haroni river, Haroni-Rusitu
Photo: Petra Ballings
Katiyo Tea estates, Honde Valley
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: |
Drynaria phymatodes (L.) Fée Phymatodes scolopendria (Burm. f.) Ching Pleopeltis phymatodes (L.) T.Moore Polypodium phymatodes L. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Rhizome widely creeping, up to 1 cm in diameter; rhizome scales dark brown, lanceolate, tapering to a point, finely toothed, later lost and surface becoming white. Fronds widely spaced, coriaceous, glabrous. Stipe up to 45 cm long, stramineous to light brown, glabrous. Lamina up to 60 × 30 cm, deltate-ovate to broadly oblong in outline, deeply pinnatifid into 4-8 pairs of lobes and a terminal segment. Lobes up to 15 × 3 cm, narrower in fertile than in sterile fronds, narrowly oblong to linear in outline, apex pointed, margins entire to somewhat wavy. Sori 2-3 mm in diameter, in 1-2 regular to irregular lines on either side of the costae, slightly sunken into the lamina, prominent on the upper side, exindusiate, with nonpeltate paraphyses. |
| Notes: | Can be confused with Microsorum scandens that has the sori placed in 1 row on each side of the costule and up to 20 pairs of pinna. |
| Derivation of specific name: | skolopendrion: a millipede; a comparison alluding to the creeping rhizome with its rootlets. |
| Habitat: | Coastal species that has migrated up some of the larger rivers |
| Altitude range: | 20 - 700 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | From eastern South Africa to Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, tropical Africa, Madagascar, Comoro and Mascarene islands, Sri Lanka, southeastern Asia, China, Australia and Polynesia. |
| Mozambique distribution: | Z,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 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 200 - 202. (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 552 - 553. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 314 - 316. (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 8. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Pages 101 - 102. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 161. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta FZ Pages 153 - 155. As Phymatodes scolopendria (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Microsorum scolopendria:
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Microsorum scolopendria
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Microsorum scolopendria
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Microsorum scolopendria
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Microsorum scolopendria
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Microsorum scolopendria
JSTOR Plant Science: Microsorum scolopendria
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Microsorum scolopendria
Tropicos: Microsorum scolopendria
West African Plants database: Microsorum scolopendria
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