Blechnum tabulare (Thunb.) Kuhn

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Blechnum tabulare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Kaulime, Nyika National Park

Blechnum tabulare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Kaulime, Nyika National Park

Blechnum tabulare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Kaulime, Nyika National Park

Blechnum tabulare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Kaulime, Nyika National Park

Blechnum tabulare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Kaulime, Nyika National Park

Blechnum tabulare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Kaulime, Nyika National Park

Blechnum tabulare

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lake Kaulime, Nyika National Park

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

Synonyms: Blechnum dalgairnsiae (Pappe & Rawson) Kuhn
Lomaria boryana (Sw.) Willd.
Lomaria coriacea Schrad.
Lomaria cycadioides Pappe & Rawson
Lomaria dalgairnsiae Pappe & Rawson
Pteris tabularis Thunb.
Common names:
Frequency: Frequent
Status: Native
Description:
Rhizome erect, sometimes forming a caudex; scales brown with dark central stripe, linear, 15-50 mm long, margin entire. Fronds dimorphic, in whorls, texture leathery. Stipe up to 30 cm, glabrous but with a few scales at the base. Sterile lamina 1.4 m × 35 cm, pinnate, elliptic-oblanceolate in outline with a series of reduced pinnae at the base, the lowermost pinnae rudimentary; pinnae linear to oblong, with an unequal base joined to the rhachis, margins entire, glabrous above, with hair-like scales set along the costa below. Fertile lamina smaller or the same size as the sterile lamina; pinnae linear, joined directly onto the rhachis, pinnae standing at an acute angle to the rhachis and sometimes strongly inrolled. Sori linear, extending the whole length of the pinnae; indusium continuous.
Notes: Differs from similar species by its stiff habit and leathery texture; it also has pinnae with an unequally shaped base.
Derivation of specific name: tabulare: Mont tabularis in Latin, this fern was first collected on Table Mountain, Cape Town
Habitat: Terrestrial fern in montane grassland along streams or rocky outcrops, along the margins of evergreen forest.
Altitude range: 1300 - 2400 m
Worldwide distribution: DRC and Tanzania southwards to South Africa; also Madagascar and Mascarene Islands.
Malawi distribution: N,S
Growth form(s): Terrestrial.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Friday 7 September 2018
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Pages 331 - 332. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (1993). An annotated check-list of the pteridophytes of Malawi Kirkia 14(1) Page 99.

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 27.

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 9.

Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 734 - 735. (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 10.

Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Pages 463 - 464. (Includes a picture).

Kornas, J. (1979). Distribution and ecology of the Pteridophytes in Zambia Polska Akademia Nauk Wydzial II Nauk Biologicznych Pages 119 - 120.

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 Pages 155 - 156.

Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 105.

Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Pages 237 - 239.

White, F. (1962). Forest Flora of Northern Rhodesia Oxford Univ. Press. Page 2.

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

Other sources of information about Blechnum tabulare:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Blechnum tabulare
Flora of Mozambique: Blechnum tabulare
Flora of Zambia: Blechnum tabulare
Flora of Zimbabwe: Blechnum tabulare

External websites:

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


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: Blechnum tabulare.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=102320, retrieved 19 March 2024

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