| Home | > | List of families | > | Marsileaceae | > | Marsilea | > | aegyptiaca |
| Synonyms: | |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Floating form: stipe up to 30 cm long. Leaflets up to 25 × 17 mm, broadly obovate to broadly obdeltate, outer margin rounded, entire to shallowly sinuate, hairless, with brown interstitial streks below. Dry land form: stipe up to 4.5 cm long. Leaflets up to 10 × 7 mm, narrowly cuneate to broadly obdeltate, outer margins rounded to truncate, finaly set with long hairs. Sporocarps: usually in clusters of 2 or more, roughly square in lateral view, upper side straight, under side rounded, outer side rounded, lateral surfaces with a broad, somewhat curved, vertical furrow, oblong and grooved from the front; densely hairy when young becoming subglabrous with age; inferior tooth absent, superior tooth prominent, acute; pedicels up to 8 mm long, long, erect, twisted or straight, free, 2 or more arising from the axil of the stipe. |
| Notes: | The sporocarps of M. aegyptiaca have a backward-facing lateral groove, this is not found in other Marsilea species from southern Africa. |
| Derivation of specific name: | aegyptiaca: from Egypt, the species was first collected in Egypt. |
| Habitat: | Arid semi-desert, growing along the margins of seasonal pans, pools and briefly flowing rivers. |
| Worldwide distribution: | Botswana, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, also north Africa, Madagascar and probably India. |
| Botswana distribution: | N,SW |
| Growth form(s): | Aquatic, terrestrial. |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. (1990). Southern African Ferns and Fern Allies. Frandsen, Sandton. Page 73. (Includes a picture). Crouch, N.R., Klopper, R.R., Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2011). Ferns of Southern Africa, A comprehensive guide Struik Nature Pages 242 - 243. (Includes a picture). Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds) (2003). Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 Page 76. Jacobsen, W.B.G. (1983). The Ferns and Fern Allies of Southern Africa. Butterworths, Durban and Pretoria. Page 481. (Includes a picture). Roux, J.P. (2001). Conspectus of Southern African Pteridophyta. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report 13 Page 174. Roux, J.P. (2009). Synopsis of the Lycopodiophyta and Pteridophyta of Africa, Madagascar and neighbouring islands Page 55. Schelpe, E.A.C.L.E. (1970). Pteridophyta Flora Zambesiaca Pages 62 - 64. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 15. |
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