Cheilanthes inaequalis (Kunze) Mett.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Quarry kopje, Cleveland Dam

Photo: Petra Ballings
Nyahokwe, Inyanga

Photo: Petra Ballings
Domboshawa, Harare

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mount Chinaka, Juliasdale

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Synonyms:	Cheilanthes inaequalis (Kunze) Mett. var. inaequalis Notholaena inaequalis Kunze Notholaena tricholepis Baker
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Rhizome shortly creeping to suberect, c. 5 mm in diameter; rhizome scales narrowly lanceolate to linear in outline, margin entire, up to 2 cm long, rust-coloured. Fronds erect, tufted, herbaceous to coriaceous, shrivelling up during the dry winter months. Stipe dark brown to black, up to 12(16) cm long, with short, fine white hairs and with scales similar to those of the rhizome at the base. Lamina ovate to lanceolate in outline, up to 22 cm × 11 cm, deeply 2-pinnatifid to 3-pinnatifid on the basal pinnae which are not reduced in size. Pinnae upper surface sparsely set with stiff hairs, lower surface densely covered with short hairs, turning reddish-brown with age, margins entire to lobed. Rhachis dark brown. Sori marginal, discrete at first but continuous when mature; indusium continuous or discontinuous.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	inaequalis: unequal; referring to the unequal structure of the basal pinnae.
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in southern and tropical Africa, also on Madagascar.
Growth form(s):	Lithophyte, 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 128 - 129. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 88. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 40. as Cheilanthes inaequalis inaequalis Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 338 - 339. As C. inaequalis (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 14. Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 Page 81. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 257 - 259. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Pages 48 - 49. 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 9. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 63. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 182. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 126. (Includes a picture). 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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Flora of Botswana: Cheilanthes inaequalis
Flora of Malawi: Cheilanthes inaequalis
Flora of Mozambique: Cheilanthes inaequalis
Flora of Rwanda: Cheilanthes inaequalis
Flora of Zambia: Cheilanthes inaequalis
Flora of Zimbabwe: Cheilanthes inaequalis

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Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Cheilanthes inaequalis
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Wikipedia: Cheilanthes inaequalis