Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes - Online edition

Cheilanthes contigua


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Close up of frond showing sori. © G. Sankowsky
Frond. © G. Sankowsky
Frond. © G. Sankowsky
Family

Pteridaceae

Botanical name

Cheilanthes contigua Baker

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/62359

Description

Fronds to 64 cm long and 16 cm wide; stipe and rachis red-brown to black, glabrous or with sparse hairs (1–15 cells); lamina ovate or triangular, 3-pinnate or 4-pinnatifid at base, 2-pinnate for most of length; larger pinnae triangular-ovate; pinnules linear, oblong, lanceolate or ovate; ultimate pinnules incised at the base and caudate at apex; margins slightly crenate; upper and lower surfaces glabrous or with sparse, short or minute hairs, often along the midrib. Spores with varying amount of echinate ornamentation, either tetrahedral, trilete, 32–48 µm diam. and 32 per sporangium, or spherical, 51–60 µm diam. and 16 per sporangium.

Distribution

Asia, Malesia and Australia. In Australia it occurs in the northern tropics of WA, NT and QLD from Cape York Peninsula to Greenvale.

Habit and habitat

Terrestrial in the groundlayer of open woodland on a variety of soils. Not usually a rainforest species.

Similar species

Cheilanthes contigua may be distingused from C. prenticei but the shorter hairs that are more dense on the upper lamina surface (c.f. longer hars that are more dense on the lower lamina surface in C. prenticei).

Citation of Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/intro/index.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) ‘Platycerium superbum’, in Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/entities/platycerium_superbum.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

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