Adiantum lunulatum Burm.f.

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Adiantum lunulatum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha wilderness area

Adiantum lunulatum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Kopje Tops, Mavhuradonha wilderness area

Adiantum lunulatum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Nyamuakwarara River, John Meikle Research Station, Stapleford

Adiantum lunulatum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Nyamuakwarara River, John Meikle Research Station, Stapleford

Adiantum lunulatum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hippo Pools, Umfurudzi Safari area

Adiantum lunulatum

Photo: Petra Ballings
Hippo Pools, Umfurudzi Safari area

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Adiantum arcuatum Sw.
Adiantum lunulatum Cav.
Adiantum philippense L.
Pteris lunulata (Burm.f.) Retz.
Common names: Walking maidenhair fern, or black maidenhair (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Rhizome short, suberect or creeping; rhizome scales dark brown. Fronds tufted, herbaceous, arching. Stipe up to 20 cm long, dark brown to black, shiny, glabrous. Lamina pinnate, linear to lanceolate in outline; 36 × 11 cm, excluding a glabrous extension of the rhachis of varying length, which often ends in a proliferous bud or lamina with a terminal pinna. Rhachis, petiole and pinnae glabrous. Pinnae numerous (up to 15 pairs), persistent, lunulate, petiolate, alternate; 25-50 × 13-25 mm, reduced in size towards the apex, the midrib forms the lower margin, outer margin irregurly incised into broad lobes. Sori elongate on apices of the pinna lobes, indusial flap linear to shallowly lunate, glabrous.
Notes: Resembles A. incisum which has a less wider lamina, more pinnae (up to 40 pairs) that are pilose and have a short petiole.
Derivation of specific name: lunulatum: moon-shaped; referring to the half-moon shape of the pinnae.
Habitat: Terrestrial, lithophyte, on streambanks in riverine forest, in evergreen forest and in deciduous woodland.
Altitude range: 100 - 1500 m
Worldwide distribution: Pantropical
Malawi distribution: N,C,S
Growth form(s): Epiphyte, 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. Page 120. As A. philippense (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 86.

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 38. (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 426 - 427. (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 13.

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 225 - 226. As A. philippense (Includes a picture).

Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Pages 64 - 65. As A. philippense

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 75.

Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Pages 69 - 70.

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Page 110. As A. philippense (Includes a picture).

Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 78.

Other sources of information about Adiantum lunulatum:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Adiantum lunulatum
Flora of Mozambique: Adiantum lunulatum
Flora of Zambia: Adiantum lunulatum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Adiantum lunulatum

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Adiantum lunulatum.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=101010, retrieved 3 December 2024

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