Aspleniaceae
Asplenium

Asplenium cordatum (Thunb.) Sw.

First published in J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800(2): 54 (1801)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is St. Helena, Ethiopia to S. Africa. It is a perennial or lithophyte and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology Leaves
Leaves to 15 x 5 cm; leaf-blade ± narrowly elliptic, pinnatifid to 2-pinnatifid; pinnae narrowly oblong, up to 2.5 x 0.9 cm, often auriculate at the base, crenate to pinnatifid.
Distribution
N1, 2 tropical and southern Africa.
Ecology
Altitude range 1450–2070 m.
Note
Very similar to C. officinarum DC. (= Asplenium ceterach L.) in Europe and eastwards to Himalaya, but usually distinguishable by the longer, narrower and ± divided pinnae. The Somali material is difficult to place, but seems best associated with the African taxon.
[FSOM]

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

Type
Type: South Africa, Cape Province, Thunberg s.n. (UPS, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome scales to 4.5 × 1 mm, attenuate at apex. Rhizome erect or procumbent, to 4 mm diameter, with dark brown clathrate lanceolate pseudoserrate
Morphology Leaves
Fronds tufted, suberect, not proliferous, coriaceous, curling and inrolled when dry.
Morphology Leaves Stipes
Stipe redbrown, 4–20 mm long, with dense brown lanceolate acuminate scales to 2 mm long.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Lamina bright to dark green, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, to 24 × 8.5 cm, 1-pinnate to 2-pinnatifid, lower pinnae gradually reduced, diminishing gradually to apex; glabrous on upper surface, densely set with pale brown ovate-acuminate to lanceolate scales to 3 × 1.5 mm on lower surface.
Morphology Leaves Pinnae
Pinna 7–11(–15) pairs, oblong, to 2.5 × 0.9 cm, base adnate to free and auriculate, weakly undulate to pinnatifid with broadly oblong crenate segments, apex rounded. %Rachis covered in brown scales.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori
Sori several per pinna on each side of the costa but almost completely hidden by scales, linear, to 2 mm long.
Figures
Fig. 11, p. 70.
Ecology
Rock crevices and around bases of boulders, riverine thicket, always in sites that dry out for long periods; may be locally common; 1000–1950 m
Conservation
Widespread; least concern (LC)
Note
There have been proposals to split this taxon into several entities, but I have yet to see a key to such entities that works. Until that time, I will treat this as a single variable species. Schippers in Fern Gaz. 14, 6: 202 (1993) states he has seen this on a rock wall in North Pare, which would add T 3 to the distribution.
Distribution
Range: Tropical Africa from Ethiopia and Somalia to South Africa Flora districts: U1 K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 T1 T 3 (see note)
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

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