Aspleniaceae
Asplenium

Asplenium anisophyllum Kunze

First published in Linnaea 10: 511 (1836)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & S. Africa. It is an epiphyte.

Descriptions

Aspleniaceae, Henk Beentje. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type
Type: South Africa, between Umzimvubu [Omsamwubo] and Umsikaba (Omsamcaba] Rs., Drège s.n. (LZ†, holo.; B!, lecto., B!, BM! (fragm.), K! (fragm.) , iso.) lectotype chosen by Roux, 1986
Morphology General Habit
Epiphyte or less often terrestrial.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome to 2 cm diameter, erect, with pale brown to brown concolorous lanceolate scales 6–12 × 1.5–3.5 mm, acute to acuminate, margin with thin lobes (‘fimbriate’).
Morphology Leaves
Fronds tufted, erect or arching, not proliferous.
Morphology Leaves Stipes
Stipe matt-purplish-brown, 13–48 cm long, to 4 mm diameter, glabrous except for a few scales at the base similar to those on the rhizome.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Lamina ovate to ovate-elliptic, 20–88 × 8–32 cm, 1-pinnate, with the basal pairs of pinnae somewhat reduced, terminal pinna large and similar to laterals, 5–12 × 1.6–2.5 cm.
Morphology Leaves Pinnae
Pinnae in 7–20 pairs, narrowly lanceolate and a bit falcate, the largest 5–16 × 1.5–3 cm, apex acuminate or acute, base truncate and parallel to rachis on the acroscopic side, oblique on the basiscopic side, margin regularly crenate with a vein ending in each crenation, glabrous above but with a few scattered minute branched linear scales on the costae and veins below.
Morphology Leaves Rachis
Rachis glabrous. Rachis glabrous or with few very narrow scales to 1 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori
Sori many per pinna, at 45° to costa, extending from near the costa to 1/2 way to the margin, 2.5–6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori Indusium
Indusium membranous, to 1.2 mm wide, entire.
Figures
Fig. 6: 3–4, p. 37.
Ecology
Epiphyte (low to high) or terrestrial in moist forest; 1000–1600 m
Conservation
Widespread; least concern (LC)
Note
A. anisophyllum Kunze var. aequilateralis Hieron. = A. elliottii. Very similar to A. elliottii except for the terminal pinna in A. elliottii being proliferous. A. boltonii and A. gemmiferum are also close; but are both proliferous; and A. ceii has fewer pinnae which are much darker and glossy.
Distribution
Flora districts: U2 U4 K7 T3 T7 Range: Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Madagascar
[FTEA]

Aspleniaceae, A. H. G. Alston. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Ferns and Fern-Allies Supplement. 1959

Ecology
On trees in forest; up to 7, 500 ft. alt.
[FWTA]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images