Entry for Actiniopteris radiata (J.König ex Sw.) Link [family PTERIDACEAE]
http://plants.jstor.org/flora/sffa002740354000002
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Page 1 of 3 Entry for Actiniopteris radiata (J.König ex Sw.) Link [family PTERIDACEAE]
Herbarium South African National Biodiversity Institute, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town (SAM) Collection Swaziland ferns and fern allies Resource Type Reference Sources Entry from Swaziland Ferns and Fern Allies (2003) Author: J.P. Roux Names Actiniopteris radiata (J.König ex Sw.) Link [family PTERIDACEAE] Other names Actiniopteris australis sensu Sim, Ferns S. Afr., 2nd edn: 150, pl. 34, fig. 2 (1915).; radiata = radial; Vernacular names: Fan-leaved fern; Waaierblaarvaring (Afr.) Information Plants terrestrial or epilithic. Rhizome short-decumbent, closely branched, to 2 mm in diameter, closely set with roots, persistent stipe bases and bicolorous scales, scales with a crustaceous, black to castaneus central stripe, nitid, and ferrugineus to stramineous, chartaceus to membranous margins, sessile, linear to narrowly lanceolate, base somewhat round-auricled, cordate, entire to repand, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 4 mm long, to 1 mm wide. Fronds crowded, erect, caespitose, homomorphic, to 160 mm long; stipe firm, proximally brown, green higher up, narrowly winged along entire length, shallowly sulcate adaxially, to 130 mm long, to 1.2 mm in diameter, sparsely scaled, scales thin-chartaceus, concolorous, stramineous, sessile, linear-hastate, entire or irregularly set with short marginal outgrowths, apex terminates in an oblong thin-walled cell, to 3 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide; lamina anadromous, firmly herbaceous, flabellate, edges forming an angle of 150-180°, divided into 2 symmetrical halves by a deep median notch, each to 4 times dichotomously branched, to 32 mm long, muricate adaxially, abaxially initially sparsely set with scales similar to, but smaller than, those on the stipe, lamina declinate when desiccated; segments up to 48 per lamina, linear, of variable length, to 1.2 mm wide, each ending in 3 or 4 acute teeth. Venation adaxially obscure, raised abaxially, dichotomously forked, ending in the teeth. Sori linear,
Page 2 of 3 along outer segment veins; receptacle nude; sporangium stalk simple, 3-seriate below capsule, capsule broadly elliptic in lateral view, with (17-)19(-20) indurated annulus cells, epistomium (5-)6(-7)-celled, hypostomium (5-)6(-6)-celled; indusium membranous, continuous along segment margin, entire. Spores trilete, tetrahedral-globose, with an equatorial flange, proximal face verrucuose, distal face hemispherical, rugate, (46-)56.2(-60) (m in diameter. Figure 15C. Range Distribution: In Swaziland the species is known from the northern parts of the Lubombo mountains only, occurring at altitudes ranging from 120 to 170 m. The species is widespread in the drier parts of east- and south tropical Africa, southern Africa, Egypt, Macaronesia, Afghanistan, Arabia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Yemen and Madagascar. Habitat Ecology: Epilithic or epiphytic, in rock crevices, at boulder bases, in shallow soil pockets overlaying sheet rock, and among low scrub, in seasonally moist conditions. Exposed or in light shade. Not edaphically bound, but in Swaziland the species is confined to basaltic soils. Hemicryptophyte, xerophyte; fronds mesoxeromorphic, poikilohydrous. Vegetative reproduction by the short and closely branched rhizome results in the plants forming small clonal stands. Seasonal pattern pronounced, fertile fronds are produced during the rainy season (December to April), usually dormant during the dry winter months.
http://plants.jstor.org/flora/sffa002740354000002
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