Rough Hairy Waterfall Fern

hispidula: minutely rough with stiff hairs (hispidulous)

Rhizome erect or inclining, c.20 mm in diameter; rhizome scales up to 6 mm long, dark brown, lanceolate, often thinly pilose. Fronds tufted, arching, not proliferous, herbaceous. Stipe up to 40 cm long, pale brown, thinly set with minute stiff hairs. Lamina up to 59 × 30 cm, ovate to broadly lanceolate in outline, deeply 2-pinnatifid, apex tapering to a point with a pinnatifid terminal segment, basal 2 pairs of pinnae slightly reduced and deflexed. Pinnae linear-oblong, apex tapering to a point; ultimate lobes narrowly oblong, slightly falcate, apex rounded, basal acroscopic lobe enlarged; both surfaces with long, white hairs, more so below, particularly along the veins, costae and costules; veins 1 pair meeting some way below the sinus. Rhachis set with long pale hairs. Sori round, up to 13 per lobe; indusia coriaceous, thickly set with long white hairs.

Rare

From southern Africa & nothern Swaziland to southeastern border of Zimbabwe and mountainous regions in Mozambique; also in most of tropical Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, E. tropical Asia and tropical S. America.

Christella hispidula is a species of fern in the Thelypteridaceae family.