Asplenium elliottii C. H. Wright 1908
Creators: name: Fischer, Eberhard
name: Lobin, Wolfram
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Polypodiopsida
Polypodiales
Aspleniaceae
Asplenium
Asplenium elliottii

description: Asplenium elliottii C.H. Wright (1908: 262).   
 Holotype: — KENYA. Nyeri County: Aberdare Range, at about 2800 m, 3 February 1906, C.F.Elliott s.n. (K000423896!).   
 Specimens seen—Western Province: Gishwati-Mukura NP, Gikungu, vallée de la Sebeya, Préfecture Gisenyi (= Rubavu), 2 November 1974, G.Troupin 15505 (BR0000015497451); Gikungu, vallée de la Sebeya. Préfecture: Gisenyi (= Rubavu), 3 November 1974, G.Troupin 15521 (BR0000015497468); Weg Gisenyi (= Rubavu) – Kibuye (= Karongi), km 39, Gishwati-woud, 6 February 1972, P. Van der Veken 9269BIS (BR0000015497505, B 20 0084589); Wisumo, centre forestier suisse commune Gisovu, Préfecture Kibuye (= Karongi), 31 May 1978, G.Troupin 16021 (BR0000015497482); Mont Muzimu, Préfecture: Cyangugu (= Rusizi), 8 September 1974, O.Ubonabenshi 85 (BR0000016326101); Forêt de Rugege (Cyangugu), au km 88 de la route Butare – Cyangugu, 24 July 1974, P.Auquier 3381 (BR0000015497369); Forêt de Nyungwe, environs de Uwinka, Préfecture: Cyangugu (= Rusizi), 9 August 1969, G.Bouxin & M.Radoux INRS/543 (BR0000015497383); Terrein Cyangugu (= Rusizi), heuvels tussen Mt Musimu en Mt Bigugu, 4 March 1972, P. Van der Veken 9655 (BR0000015497512); Territ. Shangugu (= Rusizi), Route Astrida (= Huye) – Bukavu, vers km 93, forêt de Rugege (= Nyungwe) près d’Uwinka, 24 September 1956, G.Troupin 2601 (BR0000015497444); Bweyeye, 5November2015, R.Richter s.n. (BR0000026772998 V); Forêt de Nyungwe, Rwankuba, Préfecture Cyangugu (= Rusizi), 23 February 1972, G.Bouxin 1337 (BR0000015497420); Forêt de Nyungwe, environs de Kamiranzovu, Préfecture Cyangugu (= Rusizi), September 1971, G.Bouxin 121 0 (BR0000015497413); Forêt de Nyungwe, environs de Rwankuba, Préfecture Cyangugu (= Rusizi), 14 June 1971, G.Bouxin 997 (BR0000015497406); Astrida (= Huye) – Bukavu km 100, 1961, S.C.Antun-Gupffert 902 (BR0000015497352); Astrida (= Huye) – Bukavu ± km 60, 7 February 1960, S.C.Antun-Gupffert 687 (BR0000015497345); Forêt de Nyungwe, environs d’Uryititi (?), Préfecture Cyangugu (= Rusizi), 24 May 1971, G.Bouxin 883 (BR0000015497390); à 2 km de Rangiro, Préfecture Cyangugu (= Rusizi), 14 June 1978, G.Troupin 16083 (BR0000015497499); Forêt de Nyungwe, road Pindura – border with Burundi, km 28, 27 July 1974, J. Rammeloo 4077 (BR0000015497437, B 20 0085130). Kigali Province: Ganzu, Bois Sacré, Kigali, September 1933, A.Becquet 786 (BR0000015497376).   
 First recorded for Rwanda: — Brause & Hieronymus (1910: 8) as Asplenium chlaenopteron auct. non Fée.   
 Habitat: —Terrestrial in montane forest, elev. 1900–2600 m.   
 Distribution in Rwanda:—Western Province: Gishwati-Mukura NP, Nyungwe NP. Kigali Province: Kigali.   
 General distribution: —Africa: D.R. Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania.   
 Note: —The name Asplenium chlaenopteron Fée (1852: 194) from Mauritius and Réunion was placed in the synonymy of A. boltonii (Tardieu-Blot 2008, see also Viane 2021: 152). But as the type bears no gemmae, it has been correctly regarded as a synonym of A. anisophyllum Kunze (1836: 511) by Roux (2009). However, A. anisophyllum has not yet been recorded for Rwanda, and the specimens identified by Hieronymus as A. chlaenopteron represent A. elliottii.   
 A specimen (J.Raynal 20544, BR0000009544895! from Nyungwe NP) was identified as A. anisophyllum. Unfortunately, it lacks the frond apex and the rhizome. Thus, it cannot be identified with certainity, but we think that it also represents A. elliottii.   
 The specimen S.C.Antun-Gupffert 630 (BR0000015917515) from Nyungwe NP, Astrida (=Huye) – Bukavu km 60, 10 January 1960, is erroneously identified as Asplenium cancellatum. It is, however, a terrestrial and gemmiferous fern and also represents A. elliottii.
description: Published as part of Fischer, Eberhard & Lobin, Wolfram, 2023, Synoptic Revision of Aspleniaceae (Asplenium, Hymenasplenium) of Rwanda, pp. 1-65 in Phytotaxa 608 (1) on page 16, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.608.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8248950