Blechnum punctulatum Sw.
var. punctulatum

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Photo: Petra Ballings
SRGH

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Synonyms:	Blechnum rigidum Sw. Lomaria auriculata Desv. Lomaria densa Kaulf. Lomaria dregeana Fée Lomaria punctulata (Sw.) Kunze
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:
Description:	Rhizome creeping to suberect, up to 4 cm in diameter; scales dark brown, linear, up to 2 cm long, margins pale, entire. Fronds dimorphic, tufted. Stipe up to 10 cm long, glabrous but with scales towards the base. Sterile lamina 3.3-80 cm × 1.2-12 cm, linear-elliptic in outline, pinnate with basal pinnae gradually decrescent; pinnae narrowly oblong, glabrous, margins entire,base with truncate lobes overlapping the rhachis. Fertile lamina reduced; pinnae 1-4 mm wide, linear. Sori linear, set parallel to the costa, continuous throughout,covering most of the undersurface of the fertile pinnae; indusium linear, subentire.
Notes:	Similar to var. atherstonei which has interrupted sori, particularly towards the base
Derivation of specific name:	punctulatum: finely dotted, referring to the submarginal hydrathodes on the sterile lamina.
Habitat:
Altitude range:
Worldwide distribution:	Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania and Madagascan region.
Malawi distribution:
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 332 - 335. (Includes a picture). Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 736 - 738. (Includes a picture). Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 466 - 467. (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 5. Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 155. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 104. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 239.

Other sources of information about Blechnum punctulatum var. punctulatum:

Our websites:

Flora of Zimbabwe: Blechnum punctulatum var. punctulatum

External websites:

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