Elaphoglossum lancifolium (Desv.) C. V. Morton

Rhizome creeping, c. 5 mm thick; rhizome scales dark brown, entire, attenuate. Fronds closely spaced to tufted, erect or arching, herbaceous to thinly coracious, simple, dimorphous. Sterile frond: stipe 8-13 cm long, stramineous to pale brown, articulated, at first densely covered with brown, ciliate, narrowly lanceolate scales; lamina up to 12-28 × 0.9-1.8 cm, linear-lanceolate in outline, apex pointed, base shortly tapering, margin inrolled, thinly covered on both surfaces with long, ciliate, deciduous scales, and some more persistent scales along the upper surface of the midrib. Fertile frond: stipe as for sterile but 9-20 cm long; lamina up to 18 × 0.6 cm, linear, apex pointed, base wedge-shaped, sporangia covering the whole undersurface of the lamina.

From west tropical Africa to DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania and downwards to Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Also Seychelles, Comoro isl., Mauritius, Réunion and Madagascar.