Bolbitis - Lomariopsidaceae

Bolbitis gemmifera (Hieron.) C. Chr.

Photo: P. Ballings
Zimbabwe

Photo: P. Ballings
Zimbabwe

Photo: C. Jongkind
Guinea

 

 

 

 

Synonyms

Leptochilus gemmifer Hieron.
Acrostichum punctatum L.f. var. angolense Welw. ex Carruth.
Campium gemmifrum (Hieron.) Copel.
Bolbitis guineensis Tardieu

Common name

Description

Rhizome creeping, 4-7 mm thick; rhizome scales dark brown to black, apex tapering to a point, margin subentire with irregular small teeth, opaque to (sub)clathrate, c. 3-4 mm long, deltate-lanceolate in outline. Fronds spaced apart, dimorphous, 20-95 cm long. Sterile frond: stipe 10-45 cm long, light to medium brown, with few scattered scales, denser towards the base; lamina imparipinnate, gemmiferous below apical pinnule, 20-45 × 10-30 cm, ovate in outline; pinnae (4-)7-10(-12) pairs, 10-18 x 2-4.4 cm, elliptic - lanceolate, base slightly asymmitrical, apex pointed, margins wavy to coarsely crenate, glabrous; veins netted with very few included veinlets recurrent and excurrent. Fertile frond: stipe 20-50cm long, lamina pinnate, 15-35 × 7-15 cm; pinnae 5-8.6 x 0.8-1.2 cm, bud occasionally at base of terminal pinnae. Sporangia covering the lower surface of the pinnae.

Notes

Bolbitis gemmifera is distinct by its having a bud at the base of the terminal pinna.

Derivation

gemmifera: the species produces gemmae (little plantlets) near the top of the frond.

Habitat

Deeply shaded forest floor in moist forest and margins of swamp forest.

Distribution worldwide

Africa, Madagascar.

Distribution in Africa

Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Dem. Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea (incl. Bioko), Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania , Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Growth form

Terrestrial.

Literature

  • Burrows, J.E. (1990) Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 294 - 296. (Includes a picture).
  • Mickel, J.T. (2002) Lomariopsidaceae.Flora of Tropical East Africa, Pages 4 - 6. (Includes a picture).
  • Roux, J.P. (2001) Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta.Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report, 13 Page 147.
  • Roux, J.P. (2009) Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands. Strelitzia 23, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. Page 115.
  • Tardieu-Blot, M.-L. (1964) Ptéridophytes vol.3.Flore du Cameroun, Pages 320 - 322. (Includes a picture).
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