Vandenboschia gigantea (Bory ex Willd.) Pic.Serm.

Vandenboschia gigantea (Bory ex Willd.) Pic.Serm., Webbia 23: 197 (1968). – Trichomanes giganteum Bory ex Willd., Species plantarum: 514 (1810). – Type: ‘Habitat in insula Borboniae’, J.B.G.M. Bory de St.­Vincent s.n. envoyé à Willdenow sous le numéro 122 (holo-: BW20216!; iso-: P00477826!).

Trichomanes radicans Sw. var. gigantea (Bory ex Willd.) Mett. ex Kuhn, Filices Africanae: 36 (1868).

Short description

Terrestrial and climbing; long-creeping thick rhizomes with robust roots (especially on terrestrial parts), bearing widely separated erect to pending fronds; fronds stipitate, up to 60 cm long, lanceolate to ovate, bipinnate-pinnatifid to tripinnate-pinnatifid or more divided; numerous sori, paratactic, cylindrical to obconic with truncated mouth.

Global distribution

Comoros, Madagascar, La Réunion.

Distribution in Comoros

Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mohéli.

Additional specimens examined

COMOROS: s. loc., s.d., L.Humblot 1576 (P01472915, P01472917); s. loc., s.d., L.H.Boivin s.n. (P01472922). ANJOUAN, s. loc., s.d., LH.Boivin s.n. (P01472925); s. loc., 1886, L.Humblot 1576 (P01472918); s. loc., 1905?, M.Lavanchie s.n. (P01604661). GRANDE COMORE, s. loc., Nov. 1911, L.Humblot s.n. (P01472916, P01472919, P01472920, P01472921, P01472923); Versant ouest du volcan Karthala, bois proche de Convalescence, 24 Oct. 2008, M.Pignal et al. 3395 (P02439790); Versant ouest du volcan Karthala, bois proche de Convalescence, 24 Oct. 2008, M.Pignal et al. 3397 (P02439791); Versant ouest du volcan Karthala, bois proche de Convalescence, 24 Oct. 2008, M.Pignal et al. 3404 (P02433496); Kourani, 25 Nov. 2009, C.Loup et al. 529 (P02439775); Nfudo ya Mdrunda, au-dessus du village de Tsinimwapanga, en chemin vers le second point de récolte, 29 Nov. 2009, C.Loup et al. 546 (P02439778). MOHÉLI, Au-dessus de Drondroni, 26 Mar. 2011, C.Loup et al. 581 (P02439782).