Cheilanthes leachii (Schelpe) Schelpe

leachii: named after L.C. Leach of the National Herbarium in Zimbabwe. He accompanied Prof. Schelpe in 1962 on an expedition to nothern Mozambique, where the type specimen was collected

Rhizome shortly creeping to erect, up to 4 mm in diameter; rhizome scales brown often with a dark central stripe, lanceolate. Fronds tufted, erect, up to 31 cm long, proliferous at the apex, occasionally on costae of basal pinnae. Stipe dark brown to almost black when mature, up to 23 cm long, more or less witht thin, brown, hairlike scales when young, later glabrous. Lamina up to 10 cm × 4 cm, ovate to lanceolate in outline, 2-pinnatifid to 2-pinnate, sometimes 3-pinnatifid on the lower basiscopically developed pinnae. Pinnae ovate or triangular, somewhat widely spaced, both surfaces set with scattered, long, rusty-coloured hairs. Rhachis as for stipe. Sori marginal; indusium pale brown, continuous and very narrow.

Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe