Elaphoglossum spathulatum (Bory) T. Moore
var. spathulatum

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Elaphoglossum spathulatum var. spathulatum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Path to spice garden, Nyamkombe River, Aberfoyle, Honde Valley

Photo: Petra Ballings
Aberfoyle Tea Estate, Honde Valley

Photo: Petra Ballings
Mermaids Falls, Aberfoyle

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Synonyms:	Acrostichum spathulatum Bory Olfersia spathulatum (Bory) C. Presl.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Rhizome short creeping to suberect, c. 3 mm in diameter; rhizome scales pale brown, narrowly lanceolate, entire, apex forming a long drawn out point, up to 4 mm long. Fronds simple, clustered, firmly herbaceous, erect, strongly dimorphous with the fertile fronds longer than the sterile fronds. Stipe of sterile fronds 0.4-1.8 cm long, of fertile fronds 2.5-4.6 cm, thin, densely set with almost hair-like, entire, pale brown scales up to 2 mm long. Sterile lamina 1-2 × 0.35-0.9 cm, narrowly oblanceolate to spathulate, apex rounded, base wedge-shaped and long decurrent, scales of the type of the stipe on both surfaces. Fertile lamina 0.8-1.2 × 0.6-0.85 cm, broadly elliptic to circular, base hardly decurrent, upper surface scaly as the sterile lamina, lower surface completely covered by sporangia, the two halves of the lamina often folded tightly along the midrib over the sporangia and sometimes quite difficult to unfold.
Notes:	The small size and the distinctive scales on the lamina separate this species from others. E. spathulatum var. uluguruense has a sterile frond lenght > 4 cm and a blade width:lenght ratio 1:>4.
Derivation of specific name:	spathulatum: spoonshaped, referring to the shape of the lamina.
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Worldwide distribution:	Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe; Sri Lanka.
Malawi distribution:
Growth form(s):	Lithophyte.
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 289 - 290. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 34. as Elaphoglossum spathulatum Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 24. As Elaphoglossum spathulatum Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 506 - 507. (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 11. as Elaphoglossum spathulatum Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (1989). The flora and phytogeography of the evergreen forests of Malawi. I: Afromontane and mid-altitude forests; Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 59(1/2) Page 26. As Elaphoglossum spathulatum Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 422 - 423. (Includes a picture). 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 7. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 152. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 132. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Pages 213 - 214.

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Flora of Mozambique: Elaphoglossum spathulatum var. spathulatum
Flora of Zambia: Elaphoglossum spathulatum var. spathulatum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Elaphoglossum spathulatum var. spathulatum

External websites:

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