Code
CESCO
Growth form
Fern
Biological cycle
Annual
Habitat
Aquatic
Ceratopteris cornuta (P. Beauv.) Le Prieur
synonym | Ellobocarpus cornutus (P. Beauv.) Kaulf. |
synonym | Furcaria cornuta (P. Beauv.) Desv. |
synonym | Onychium cornutum (P. Beauv.) Hassk. |
synonym | Pteris cornuta P. Beauv. |
No Data |
Global description
Ceratopteris cornuta is an annual aquatic fern with pinnate fronds forming a tuft that can reach 1 m in height. It can be rooted with fronds immersed or spreading on the water surface, or free-floating. The frond (limb) is simple deeply lobed, bipinnate in its upper part (cut twice in lobes) and reduced to the rachis in its lower part which evokes a long petiole. The fertile fronds have revolting filiform linear lobes covering the sporangia. This species is very polymorphous according to the conditions of the environment. The sporangia are on the underside, emitting yellow spores.
General habit
Depending on the depth of the water, Ceratopteris cornuta develops as an upright tuft rooted in the mud or as a free-floating plant more or less spreading.
Underground system
Vertical rhizome 15 mm in diameter.
Stem
Pseudo stem (stipe) glabrous, succulent and fragile when it is fresh, from 4 to 18 cm long.
Frond
Fronds (leaves) are very polymorphic. The fertile fronds, often numerous are generally triangular or obovate 7 to 27 cm long and 5 to 18 cm wide, pinnate or bipennatifid, rarely tripennatifides at the lobes of the base. The terminal lobes are triangular to lanceolate, with abruptly acute tops. The upper face and the lower face are glabrous, the margin is sub-entire. The fertile fronds are generally lanceolate to oval in shape. They are longer and much more finely dissected than sterile fronds. They are 11 to 69 cm long and 4.5 to 28 cm wide. They are 3 to 4-pennatifides, the ultimate lobes being closely linear, attenuated in tip at the top. Both sides are glabrous and the margin is inrolled.
Sporangium
The reproductive organs are sporangia, arranged in 1 to 3 rows along the veins, on the underside of the fertile fronds. They produce yellow spores.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Ceratopteris cornuta is an annual species. It multiplies by spores, but also very actively by seedlings appearing on the edge of the leaves. When their root system is well developed, young plants break off and spread by flotation.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Ceratopteris cornuta can easily be confused with C. thalictroides. C. cornuta is differentiated by less divided sterile fronds and smaller fertile fronds with wider lobe tips giving a more robust appearance than C. thalictroides.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Ceratopteris cornuta prefers waters with temperatures ranging from 20 to 30 ° C. It grows up to 1300 m altitude. It develops rooted in mud in shallow waters but can also develop as a free-floating plant when the water height is too high. It is found in ponds, marshes, along rivers or irrigation canals and paddy fields. It is also present in low-lying areas that remain wet.
South Africa: C. cornuta grows along large rivers, in shallow marshes and pools, from sea-level to 600 m altitude. It does not tolerate low temperatures.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Worldwide distribution
Ceratopteris cornuta occurs in tropical Africa from Senegal to Sudan. It is also present in southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia). It is also known in Saudi Arabia, Socotra, Madagascar, Iraq, India and Burma.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Global harmfulness
Ceratopteris cornuta is an weed of irrigated rice fields.
Local harmfulness
South Africa: Uncommon, only present in the North East of the country and scanty.
Benin: Rare and scanty
Senegal: Frequent and scanty
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Global control
For general information on weeding irrigated and lowland rice in Africa please consult
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
- Grard, P., et al. (2012). AFROweeds V.1.0: African weeds of rice Montpellier, France & Cotonou, Bénin, Cirad-AfricaRice eds.
- Grard, P., et al. (2012). AFROweeds V.1.0: African weeds of rice Montpellier, France & Cotonou, Bénin, Cirad-AfricaRice eds.
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Ceratopteris%2520cornuta
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Polypodiopsida |
Order | Polypodiales |
Family | Pteridaceae |
Genus | Ceratopteris |
Species | Ceratopteris cornuta (P. Beauv.) Le Prieur |