Home | > | List of families | > | Ophioglossaceae | > | Ophioglossum | > | polyphyllum |
Synonyms: |
Ophioglossum capense Schltdl. var. regulare Schltdl. Ophioglossum cuspidatum Milde Ophioglossum regulare (Schltdl.) C.Chr. Ophioglossum vulgatum L. var. polyphyllum (A. Braun) Milde |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | |
Description: |
Rhizome spindle-shaped to linear, 10-60 mm long; roots fleshy, horizontaly interconnected; persistent leaf bases present at the top of the rhizome. Leaves 1 to 2, held at 70-80% from the horizontal. Petiole up to 25-70 mm long, 40–60% of its length subterranean. Sterile lamina 20-60 × 7-29 mm, grey or glaucus green, narrowly elliptic to oblong lanceolate, length:width ratio 1.4–4.5:1 (5-10.5:1 in var. angustifolium), apex pointed, mucronate, occasionally rounded, base wedge-shaped, texture rather fleshy, venation obscured in live material; fertile spike 40–100 mm long, with 12–30 pairs of sporangia. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | polyphyllum: with many leaves |
Habitat: | |
Worldwide distribution: | South Africa, Namibia, east tropical Africa, Saudi, Arabia, Afghanistan, India, Cape Verde Isl., Canary Isl. and St. Helena. |
Botswana distribution: | N,SW |
Growth form(s): | 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. Pages 46 - 47. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 82. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 36. Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 104 - 107. Describes 2 var. (var. polyphyllum and var. angustifolium) (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 12. Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 Page 77. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 163 - 164. (Includes a picture). Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 361. (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 Page 33. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 34 - 35. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 37. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 15. |
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