Adiantum mendoncae Alston

mendoncae: the plant was collected by Francisco d' Assensão Mendonça in Mozambique in 1942

Rhizome short, erect; rhizome scales dark brown. Fronds tufted, herbaceous. Stipe up to 15 cm long, dark brown, glabrous except for narrow, hairlike scales towards the base. Lamina pinnate, narrowly lanceolate to oblong in outline; 30 × 5 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 20 pairs), broadly obcuneate to roughly obtriangular, with thin dark brown petiole up to 7 mm long, alternate; 2 × 1.4 cm, reduced in size towards the apex, margin of the sides entire, outer margin convex and finely toothed; venation flabellate. Sori on apices of the outer pinna margin, indusial flap short, dark brown, glabrous.

Rare

Only known from Zimbabwe and Mozambique