Aspleniaceae
Asplenium

Asplenium adamsii Alston

First published in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 30: 7 (1956)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Cameroon, Ethiopia to Tanzania. It grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Aspleniaceae, A. H. G. Alston. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Ferns and Fern-Allies Supplement. 1959

Ecology
On rocks; 8, 500 to 9, 000 ft. alt.
[FWTA]

Aspleniaceae, Henk Beentje. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Type
Type: Cameroon, Mt Cameroon, Adams 1278 (BM!, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Terrestrial or lithophyte.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome shortly creeping (as in the type!) or erect, ± 5 mm diameter, with dense shiny clathrate black scales 2–2.5 × 0.8 mm long, margin paler, apex ending in a hair.
Morphology Leaves
Fronds tufted, oblong-elliptic, 20–36 cm long, sometimes proliferous.
Morphology Leaves Stipes
Stipe green to blackish, 6–14 cm long, with some scales similar to those of rhizome and a few capitate glands.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Lamina oblong in outline, 10–22 × 2.5–6 cm, 1-pinnate, basal pinnae hardly reduced, apex gradually decrescent.
Morphology Leaves Pinnae
Pinna in 9–19 pairs, sub-coriaceous, to 4 × 1.3 cm, base unequally cuneate-attenuate, the acroscopic margin parallel with the rachis, the basiscopic margin slightly dimidiate and then cuneate, sometimes slightly 3-lobed, upper margin double serrate, apex obtuse to attenuate.
Morphology Leaves Rachis
Rachis with scattered scales similar to those of rhizome, and with narrow hairs/scales, some of which are small stalked glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori
Sori 6–17 per pinna, at slight angle to costa, linear, 2.5–6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori Indusium
Indusium membranous, entire, to 0.7 mm wide.
Figures
Fig. 3: 2–3, p. 19.
Ecology
Rocky places near waterfall in moorland and upper heath zone, crevices in lava wall; 2400–3400 m
Conservation
Due to wide distribution and habitat type, presumed Least Concern (LC)
Distribution
Flora districts: K3 K4 T2 Range: Cameroon
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0