Aspleniaceae
Asplenium

Asplenium ceii Pic.Serm.

First published in Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n.s., 47: 11 (1940)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Gabon to Ethiopia and Mozambique. It is an epiphyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Type
Type: Ethiopia, Kaffa, between Bonga and Uota, Cei 14 (FT, holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Epiphytic.
Vegetative Multiplication Rhizomes
Rhizome erect, ± 1 cm diameter, covered with old stipe bases with greyish-brown, lanceolate-subulate, subentire scales up to 10 × 1.5 mm, composed of clear thin-walled cells, attenuate into a hair-like tip.
Morphology Leaves
Frond tufted, erect, not proliferous.
Morphology Leaves Stipes
Stipe matt-grey-green to brown, 5–30 cm long and 3 mm diameter, subglabrous, with a few scales towards the base similar to the rhizome scales.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Lamina dark shiny green, herbaceous to coriaceous, 18–40 × 10–19 cm, oblong, erect, 1-pinnate; basal pinnae not reduced, terminal pinna similar to lateral ones.
Morphology Leaves Pinnae
Pinnae in 2–9 subopposite pairs with a terminal pinna similar to the other pinnae, petiolulate, lanceolate to oblong, 8–14 × 1.8–2.5 cm, the terminal pinna 14–16 × 2.5–3.5 cm, acroscopic base cuneate and often parallel to the rachis, basiscopic base attenuatecuneate, margin irregularly and shallowly undulate-crenate, attenuate to acuminate, glabrous.
Morphology Leaves Leaf veins
Veins ending short of the margin.
Morphology Leaves Rachis
Rachis matt-purplish-brown, at first set with dark irregularly fimbriate scales up to 2 mm long, later becoming glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori
Sori many, along the veins at 45° angle to costa, extending from near the costa to more than halfway to the margin, (4–)9–13 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Sori Indusium
Indusium membranous, entire, 0.5–0.8 mm wide. Fig. 6: 1–2, p. 37.
Ecology
Moist forest; 1200–1700(–2400) m
Conservation
Widespread; least concern (LC) – but only six collections from our area
Note
A. ceii resembles a small gemmiferum, but occurs away from water, usually in deep shade. Christensen felt this might be a variety of A. gemmiferum, but Pichi Sermolli feels it is distinct enough. The Schelpe name was published, I believe, because the author was unaware of the existence of A. ceii.
Distribution
Flora districts: U2 U3 K3 K 5 T6 T7 Range: Ethiopia, Burundi, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East 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