Dryopteris athamantica (Kunze) Kuntze

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Photo: Petra Ballings
Road from Mt Selinda to Espungabera border post

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Synonyms:	Aspidium athamanticum Kunze Lastrea athamantica (Kunze) T.Moore Lastrea plantii T.Moore Nephrodium athamanticum (Kunze) Hook. Nephrodium eurylepium Peter
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Rhizome creeping, up to 25 mm in diameter; rhizome scales reddish-brown, narrowly lanceolate to linear, up to 22 mm long, margins with or without filamentous outgrows. Fronds tufted, erect, rigid, subcoriaceous. Stipe up to 37 cm long, straw-coloured, grooved, with scales similar to the rhizome towards the base. Lamina up to 75 × 27 cm, narrowly ovate-oblong to lanceolate in outline, 3-pinnatifid to 3-pinnate, basal pinnae hardly reduced. Pinnae up to 25 × 12 cm, usually forming an angle of less than 50° from the rhachis, narrowly triangular-oblong in outline, subglabrous on both surfaces. Pinnules narrowly oblong-lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid into oblong, obtuse ultimate lobes with shallowly crenate to subentire margins. Rhachis straw-coloured with a few hair-like, reddish-brown scales. Sori round, c. 1 mm in diameter, 1-3 per ultimate segment; indusia round to kidney-shaped, membranous, entire or slightly dentate.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	athamantis: brightness; this may refer to the preference of this species for sunny open habitats.
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Worldwide distribution:	Tropical to subtropical Africa.
Growth form(s):	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 300 - 302. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 98. Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 28. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 23. Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 472 - 473. (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 10. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 433 - 435. (Includes a picture). Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Page 107. 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 6. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 127. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 120. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 221. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 78.

Other sources of information about Dryopteris athamantica:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Dryopteris athamantica
Flora of Mozambique: Dryopteris athamantica
Flora of Rwanda: Dryopteris athamantica
Flora of Zambia: Dryopteris athamantica
Flora of Zimbabwe: Dryopteris athamantica

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Dryopteris athamantica
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Dryopteris athamantica
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Dryopteris athamantica
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Dryopteris athamantica
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Dryopteris athamantica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Dryopteris athamantica
JSTOR Plant Science: Dryopteris athamantica
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Dryopteris athamantica
Plants of the World Online: Dryopteris athamantica
Tropicos: Dryopteris athamantica
Wikipedia: Dryopteris athamantica