The Pteridaceae family diversity in Togo Author Abotsi, Komla Elikplim Author Radji, Aboudou R. Author Rouhan, Germinal Author Dubuisson, Jean-Yves Author Kokou, Kouami text Biodiversity Data Journal 2015 3 5078 5078 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e5078 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e5078 1314-2828--5078 Acrostichum aureum L. Acrostichum inaequale Willd, A. guineense Gaudich, Chrysodium inaequale (Willd.) Fee , C. vulgare Fee , C. aureum (L) Mett Materials Type status: Other material . Occurrence: catalogNumber: 11958 ; recordNumber: 4877; recordedBy: J.-F. Brunel ; lifeStage: Adult ; reproductiveCondition: Fertile; Taxon: nameAccordingToID: The Plant List; scientificName: Acrostichumaureum L.; kingdom: Plantae; phylum: Monilophyta; class: Polypodiidae; order: Polypodiales; family: Pteridaceae; genus: Acrostichum; specificEpithet: aureum; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: L.; Location: continent: Africa; country: Togo ; stateProvince: Maritime; decimalLatitude: 6.2333333 ; decimalLongitude: 1.2227778 ; geodeticDatum: WGS 1984; Identification: identifiedBy: J.-F. Brunel ; Record Level: institutionID: Herbarium togoense; collectionID: TOGO Type status: Other material . Occurrence: catalogNumber: 11960 ; recordNumber: 102; recordedBy: K. Akpagana ; lifeStage: Adult ; reproductiveCondition: Fertile; Taxon: nameAccordingToID: The Plant List; scientificName: Acrostichum aureum L.; kingdom: Plantae; phylum: Monilophyta; class: Polypodiidae; order: Polypodiales; family: Pteridaceae; genus: Acrostichum; specificEpithet: aureum; taxonRank: species; scientificNameAuthorship: L.; Location: continent: Africa; country: Togo ; stateProvince: Maritime; decimalLatitude: 6.2333333 ; decimalLongitude: 1.2227778 ; geodeticDatum: WGS 1984; Identification: identifiedBy: J.-F. Brunel ; dateIdentified: /5/1983; Event: eventDate: /5/1983 ; Record Level: institutionID: Herbarium togoense; collectionID: TOGO Ecological interactions Native status Native Conservation status Least Concern Distribution Togo (Ecological Zone 5), USA, U.S. Virgin Isl., Costa Rica, Galapagos, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba, Nicaragua, Barbados, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Cayman Isl., Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Isl., Isla del Coco, Australia, South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, SE-Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Pemba Isl., Principe Isl., Sao Tome , Bioko Isl., Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Madagascar, Mauritius, La Reunion , Micronesia, Palau Isl., Fiji, Western Samoa, American Samoa, Marianas, Society Isl., Tonga, New Caledonia, Niue, Austral Isl., China, Taiwan, Ryukyu Isl., peninsular Malaysia, India, Andaman Isl., Nicobar Isl., Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Sulawesi Notes Acrostichum aureum is a fern with erect rhizome and fronds in clumps. Young fronds are entire while adults are pinnate, measuring 1 to over 2m in length. The petiole is 30-50 cm long, rigid and naked. The leaf blade is oblong-lanceolate, about 50 cm to 2 m long, with lanceolate pinnae. The pinnae are 20-30 cm long for 3-5 cm wide, alternate, spaced about 3 cm, with cuneate-oblique base. The upper pinnae are sessile while basal pinnae are stalked (Fig. 4a). Fertile pinnae are slightly narrower and completely covered by sporangia on their underside (Fig. 4b). This fern grows in the backward of mangroves, forming almost impenetrable bushes.