Cheilanthes involuta (Sw.) Schelpe & N.C. Anthony
var. obscura (N.C. Anthony) N.C. Anthony

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Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura

Photo: Petra Ballings
Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha wilderness area

Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura

Photo: Petra Ballings
Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha wilderness area

Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mpinga pass, Great dyke

Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hippo Pools, Umfurudzi Safari area

Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hippo Pools, Umfurudzi Safari area

Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along secondary dirt road below Mount Buchwa

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Synonyms: Cheilanthes viridis (Forssk.) Sw. var. obscura N.C. Anthony
Pellaea involuta (Sw.) Baker var. obscura (N.C. Anthony) N.C. Anthony
Pellaea viridis (Forssk.) Prantl var. involuta sensu Schelpe and sensu W. Jacob and sensu Kornas
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Rhizome shortly creeping to ascending, c. 4 mm in diameter; rhizome scales reddish brown sometimes with central dark stripe, apex slowly tapering to a point, margin entire, sometimes minutely toothed, up to 6 mm long. Fronds tufted, herbaceous to coriaceous. Stipe dark brown, grooved, set with brown to blackish scales up to 3 mm long, more so at the base. Lamina 3-24 cm × 2-13 cm, ovate to subdeltate in outline, 2-pinnate to 3-pinnatifid; ultimate segments oblong-ovate to subhastate, venation obscure, free, upper surface hairless, undersurface set with a few lanceolate scales along the costules. Rhachis and secondary rhachises with brown, lanceolate, hairlike scales. Sori linear, marginal; indusium continuous, suberose.
Notes: May be confused with C. viridis var. glauca which differs in having a rhachis that is deeply grooved, an almost black stipe and veins that are clearly visible.
Derivation of specific name: involuta: inrolled, referring to the sometimes inrolled pinnule margin; obscura: obscure, venation not being very visible
Habitat: Terrestrial or lithophyte, at boulder bases and among rocks in woodland and grassland.
Altitude range: 400 - 2440 m
Worldwide distribution: Angola, Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Naminia, Socotra, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Mozambique distribution: T,MS,M
Growth form(s): Lithophyte, terrestrial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 145. (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 386 - 387. (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.

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 287 - 288. As P. viridis var. involuta (Sw.) Schelpe (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. involuta (Sw.) Schelpe

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 64.

Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 183.

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 136. As P. viridis var. involuta (Sw.) Schelpe

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 15.

Other sources of information about Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura
Flora of Malawi: Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura
Flora of Zambia: Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura
Flora of Zimbabwe: Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=100790, retrieved 19 March 2024

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