Braamfontein Spruit Ecological Corridor

Florence D. Hancock and Annabelle Lucas
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Species source document

Ferns of the Witwatersrand

Ferns of the Witwatersrand is a beautifully illustrated guide to identifying and appreciating the 32 species of ferns found in the area. Ferns are not commonly associated with the grasslands or savanna of the interior, but find moist and shaded conditions in kloofs, along rivers and wetland areas. This book successfully argues for the place of ferns in our imagination of our environment here, and for their appreciation regenerating our environment inside the urban landscape.

The area it covers is Nigel in the east, Randfontein in the west, Halfway House and Krugersdorp dolomites in the north, and Klip River and Klipspruit as far as Olifantsvlei and Van Wyk's Rust in the south.

Note: Isoëtes giessii was also listed in this book but not imported, as we could not find enough information on it that indicates it occurs in Gauteng.

Illustrated by Barbara Pike and Patsy-Lynne Edkins
Witwatersrand University Press, Johannesburg, 1973

Linked species

The following 33 species were imported from this document.
Name Form Animals Aspect Habitats
Black maidenhair fern
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Shade Near water
Mexican maidenhair fern
Adiantum poiretii poiretii
Shade Near water
Grassveld Tree Fern
Alsophila dregei
Shade Sun Semi-shade Near water Soil: loam Soil: sandy
Scented Fern
Anemia caffrorum
Shade Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum Shade Near water Rocky habitat
Ethiopian spleenwort
Asplenium aethiopicum
Shade Near water Rocky habitat
Scaly Fern
Asplenium cordatum
Shade Rocky habitat
Pointed Hard Fern
Blechnum attenuatum giganteum
Shade Near water Rocky habitat
Southern Hard Fern
Blechnum australe
Shade Near water
Silver Fern
Cerosora argentea
Shade Semi-shade Near water Rocky habitat
Dolomite Lipfern
Cheilanthes dolomiticola
Sun Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Resurrection Fern
Cheilanthes eckloniana
Sun Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Cheilanthes involuta involuta Shade Semi-shade Near water Rocky habitat
Hard Lip Fern
Cheilanthes viridis glauca
Shade Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Grassland Fern
Dryopteris athamantica
Shade Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Thin-Stemmed Forest Fern
Dryopteris inaequalis inaequalis
Shade Near water Rocky habitat
Branched Horsetail
Equisetum ramosissimum
Shade Semi-shade Near water
Woolly Lipfern
Hemionitis hirta
Shade Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Cluster Fern
Hemionitis multifida
Sun Semi-shade Near water Rocky habitat
Four-Pinnate Lip Fern
Hemionitis quadripinnata
Sun Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Green Cliff Brake
Hemionitis viridis viridis
Shade Semi-shade Near water Rocky habitat
Staghorn Clubmoss
Lycopodiella cernua
Shade Near water
Marsilea macrocarpa Supports grazers/browsers Shade In water
Common Adders-tongue
Ophioglossum polyphyllum
Sun Semi-shade Near water
Southern Adder'S-Tongue
Ophioglossum vulgatum
Sun Semi-shade Near water
American Royal Fern
Osmunda regalis
Shade Sun Semi-shade Near water In water Rocky habitat Soil: clay Soil: loam
Hard Fern
Pellaea calomelanos calomelanos
Shade Semi-shade Rocky habitat
Common Bracken
Pteridium aquilinum aquilinum
Shade Semi-shade
Cretan brake
Pteris cretica
Shade Near water Rocky habitat
Ladder brake
Pteris vittata
Shade Near water
Drege's Spikemoss
Selaginella dregei
Sun Rocky habitat
Mitten's Spikemoss
Selaginella mittenii
Shade Near water Rocky habitat
Swamp Fern
Thelypteris confluens
Shade Near water

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