Flora of Tropical East Africa - Dennstaetiacea (2000)

Bernard Verdcourt

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9789061913962
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000162424
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Agriculture
• Index: Biological Sciences

The flora is prepared at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in close collaboration with East African Herbarium and in liaison with the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi and the Makerere University. Significant contributions are also made by specialists elsewhere. The flora is designed to a high academic standard and should be a useful resource reference for anyone concerned with the identification and utilization of plants in eastern Africa. Each family is published as a separate part.

FLORA OF TROPICAL EAST AFRICA
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DENNSTAEDTIACEAE

BERNARD VERDCOURT

Erect or climbing terrestrial or epilithic ferns, often large, with creeping or erect rhizomes covered with hairs or hair-like non-peltate scales and with single or complex double solenosteles, or prostelic. Fronds 1–4-pinnate or 2–4(-5)-pinnatifid, sometimes with continuous apical growth (Hypolepis); stipes with undivided or dissected U-shaped vascular strands or 2 C-shaped strands back to back; lamina glabrous or hairy, veins free or anastomosing. Sori marginal, submarginal or superficial near the margin, ± round to oblong or linear (on one or both margins if marginal). Indusium absent or cup-shaped and opening outwards (Microlepia) or linear, or with leaf-margin modified to form a false indusium (Hypolepis), or both true and false indusia present; paraphyses present or absent. Spores monolete or trilete.

As defined here (following Kramer in Kubitzki et al., Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl.: 81–94 (1990) with slight changes) the family includes 17 genera, 9 of which occur in East Africa. There is, however, much disagreement over the delimitation of the group. Lindsaeaceae Pic. Serm. is frequently kept separate but Kramer gives it as subfamily Lindsaeoideae, without giving a Latin description. Pichi-Sermolli (Webbia 24: 705 (1970)) also separates Hypolepidaceae which covers genera 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in this account.

1. Climbing ferns; son terminal on single veins, immersed in tissue (U 2)	7. Odontosoria
Erect ferns	2
2. Veins anastomosing; fronds not simply pinnate, or if so, robust, broad and usually hairy	3
Veins mostly free or, if anastomosing somewhat (in Lindsaea ensifolia), then fronds simply pinnate, slender, narrow and glabrous	4
3. Fronds pubescent to hirsute at least on the costae and axes	4. Blotiella
Fronds glabrous, and glaucous when young	5. Histiopteris
4. Sori not marginal, subcircular, opening towards the margin, frequently corresponding with a hydathode on the upper surface	1. Microlepia
Sori marginal or apparently marginal	5
5. Sori with outer false indusium formed by reflexed modified leaf-margin and sometimes with inner true indusium	6
Sori with only a true indusium	8
6. Sori short on single veins, protected by a short rounded marginal reflexed flap	3. Hypolepis
Sori longer, covering several to many veins, the outer false indusium occupying most or ± all of the margins of the fertile segments	7
7. Stipe with 2 vascular bundles; fronds slightly succulent but drying ± membranous; paraphyses present; rachis without callose (nectaries)	6. Lonchitis
Stipe with several vascular bundles; fronds coriaceous; paraphyses absent; rachis with callose spots (nectaries) at insertion of larger pinnae	2. Pteridium
8. Ultimate pinnules almost linear, up to 4 mm long, uninerved, each with only one sorus; indusium pocket-like, attached at base and sides; rhizome short-creeping	8. Sphenomeris
Ultimate pinnules either cuneate, 4–13 mm long with sori on 1–4 vein-ends interrupted by marginal incisions (L. madagascariensis) or linear to lanceolate or oblong, cuneate at base, (3.5—)10–22 cm long in pinnate fronds or lamina simple, linear or lanceolate up to 10 cm long with long linear continuous sori on both margins (L. ensifolia); indusium short to elongate, opening outwards; rhizome long-creeping	9. Lindsaea

1. MICROLEPIA

C. Presl, Tent. Pterid.: 124 (1836) & in Abh. Königl. Böhm. Ges. Wiss., ser. 4, 5: 124 (1837); Kramer in Kubitzki et al., Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 1: 84 (1990)

Rhizome creeping, covered with brown multicellular hairs. Fronds often quite large, mostly closely spaced; stipe with a single U-shaped bundle; lamina 1–3-pinnate to 4(-5)-pinnatifid, venation free. Sori intramarginal, ± round, borne on a vein ending and with a small membranous cup- or pouch-shaped indusium opening outwards and attached at its base and sides. Spores trilete, tetrahedral-globose, echinate.

About 45 species mainly in the Old World tropics, including one common pantropical species.

Ultimate segments equally lobulate on both margins; fronds thinner and drying pale yellowish green (widespread)	1. M. speluncae
Ultimate segments straight or less lobulate on basiscopic side; fronds thicker and drying darker green (T 6, 7)	2. M. fadenii

1. M. speluncae (L.) Moore, Ind. Fil. 1: 93 (1857); Kuhn, Fil. Mr.: 159 (1868); Hieron. in P.O.A. C: 77 (1895); V.E. 2: 21, fig. 18 (1908); Sim, Ferns S. Mr., ed. 2: 129, t. 38 (1915); F.D.-0.A.: 66 (1929); Tardieu in Mém. I.F.A.N. 28: 58, t. 7/3–5 (1953) & Fl. Madag. 5(1): 9 (1958) ; Alston, Ferns W.T.A.: 33 (1959) ; Tardieu, Fl. Cameroun 3, Ptérid.: 94, tt. 11/3–5, 15/3–5 (1964) & Fl. Gabon 8, Ptérid.: 68, t. 11/3–5 (1964); Schelpe, F.Z., Pterid.: 89, t. 27 (1970) & Expl. Hydrobiol. Bassin L. Bangweolo & Luapula, 8(3), Ptérid.: 49, fig. 17 (1973) & C.F.A., Pterid.: 75, t. 13 (1977); Schelpe & Diniz, Fl. Moçamb., Pterid.: 91, t. 8 (1979); W. Jacobsen, Ferns S. Mr.: 210, fig. 147, map 45 (1983); Pic. Serm. in B.J.B.B. 53: 258 (1983); Schelpe & N.C. Anthony, F.S.A., Pterid.: 85, fig. 24*, map 68 (1986); Benl, Pterid. Bioko 4, in Acta Bot. Barcinon. 38: 23 (1988); J.E. Burrows, S. Mr. Ferns: 106, t. 16/4, fig. 23/106, map (1990); Faden in U.K.W.F., ed. 2: 24 (1994). Type: Sri Lanka, Herman (BM-HERM, vol. 3, fol. 41!, lecto.)

Terrestrial fern; rhizome much branched, ± 1 cm diameter, multicellular hairs pale, up to 4 mm long; fronds spaced up to 6 cm apart, (0.45—)1.5–3 m tall; stipe 0.2–1 m long and 6 mm wide, at first pubescent, later glabrous; lamina thin, yellow-green, ovate, 0.4–1.8 m long, 0.1–1.4 m wide, 3–4(-5)-pinnatifid; pinnae alternate, narrowly oblong to oblong-lanceolate, up to 60 cm long and 21 cm wide, 2–3-pinnate to 2–3-pinnatifid, acute; pinnules alternate, up to 13 cm long and 6 cm wide; ultimate segments oblong, 4–12 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, crenate to pinnatifid, obtuse, thinly to fairly densely pubescent above and below with pale multicellular hairs up to 0.4 mm long; rachis thinly pubescent with minute hairs, eventually glabrous. Sori 2–10(-20) per segment, clearly intramarginal, round, 1 mm diameter, situated beneath on a vein ending which shows as a usually conspicuous hydathode on the upper surface; indusium often caducous, often pubescent-hispid. Fig. 1.

*Captions to figs. 23 and 24 are transposed.

FIG.1 MICROLEPIA SPELUNCAE— 1, pinna, × ⅔; 2, fertile pinnule segment, × 2. Both from Fisher & Schweickerdt 449. Drawn by Monika Shaffer-Fehre. From F.Z.

UGANDA. Toro District: Bwamba, Kabango, 21 Nov. 1935, A.S. Thomas 1501!; Masaka District: Sese Is., Towa Forest, 30 June 1935, A.S. Thomas 1355!; Mengo District: 16 km on Entebbe road (from Kampala), June 1937, Chandler 1681!

KENYA. North Kavirondo District: Malaya [Kabras] Forest, W side of Kakamega—Broderick Falls road, 26 Nov 1969, Faden 69/2036! & Kakamega Forest, along Yala R. about 5 km SE of Forest Station, 25 Nov. 1969, Faden et al. 69/2011!; Masai District: foot of Ngulia Hills, near stream pool, 28 Aug. 1969, Bally 13470!

TANZANIA. Lushoto District: Amani, Mt Bornole, 14 Oct. 1928, Greenway 889!; Ufipa District: Sumbawanga, Chapota, 7 Mar. 1957, Richards 8534!; Iringa District: Mwanihana Forest Reserve, above Sanje village, 10 Oct. 1984, D.W. Thomas 3932!

DISTR. U 2, 4; K ?3, 5–7; T 3, 4, 6, 7; throughout tropical Africa to S & SW Africa and widespread throughout the tropics

HAB. Forest edges, swamp forest, Khaya-Cynometra forest, ditch-sides, streams, old rubber plantations; (350—)700–1650(-1850) m

SYN. Polypodium speluncae L., Sp. PI., ed.1: 1093 (1753)

Davallia speluncae (L.) Baker, in Hook. & Baker, Syn. ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dennstaedtiaceae
• Index to Dennstaedtiaceae