Alsophila mossambicensis (Bak.) R. M. Tryon

mossambicensis: of Mozambique

Tree fern. Caudex 80 × 15 cm; fronds herbaceous, up to 2 m long. Stem without spines and without aphlebia in the crown of the stem. Stipe dark brown, set with brown scales towards the base; scales narrowly lanceolate, margins pale and a dark apical seta. Lamina up to 1.9 m × 80 cm, 2-pinnate to 2-pinnatifid, rarely 3-pinnatifid, elliptic in outline, lowest four pairs of pinnae reduced. Pinnae 26 × 4.5 cm, oblong-attenuate, incised to the costa into narrowly oblong slightly falcate lobes, margins crenate-serrate, apex acute, upper surface with stiff curved pale hairs on the costa, lower surface with scattered stiff twisted hairs along the veins. Sori set in a single row on each side of the costule, restricted to the lower half of the pinnule; indusium cup-shaped, fragmenting soon after maturity.

Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe