Microsorum pappei (Mett. ex Kuhn) Ching - Pappe's wart fern

Microsorum pappei has a widely creeping rhizome up to 3 mm in diameter with fronds spaced about 30 mm apart. The leaf stalk grows up to 120 mm long, and the glabrous, simple, narrowly elliptic lamina is up to 370 x 80 mm. The circular sori are 1.5 to 2.5 mm in diameter, and occur half-way between the midrib and the margin in one or two rows on either side of the costa.

The species is not available in the trade, but should it become available, it must be grown in light to deep shade in an environment with a high humidity. The species should be grown in a loose, well-drained medium that should always be kept moist.

Microsorum punctatum (L.) Copel.-pitted wart fern

Microsorum punctatum has a short, creeping rhizome up to 4 mm in diameter and is covered with a thick felt of roots. The fronds are short-stalked and up to 10 mm apart. The narrowly elliptic lamina is simple, and up to 1500 x 110 mm. It has a thin leathery texture and is minutely pitted. The sori are about 1 mm in diameter and are irregularly scattered on the undersurface of the lamina.

The species is ideal for cultivation indoors and outdoors provided that it is planted in deep shade, never exposed to direct sunlight and kept moist at all times. An increased humidity will be beneficial. The species is best cultivated in a well-drained humus-rich medium kept moist at all times.

Uses: A tea of the plant is drunk for coughing fits. The leaf sap has also been reported to be used as an enema.

Microsorum scolopendria (Burm.f.) Copel.-embossed fern

Microsorum scolopendria has a widely creeping rhizome up to 10 mm in diameter that mostly occurs on the soil surface. The deeply pinnatifid, leathery fronds, up to 0.9 m long, are widely spaced along the rhizome. The stipe (leaf stalk) is up to 400 mm long. The leaf blade is divided into narrowly oblong lobes, up to 220 x 30 mm. The somewhat sunken sori are round to oval, 2 to 3 mm in diameter and occur in one or two rows on either side of the costa. Adaxially the sori are embossed.

This is a hardy species and easy to cultivate in a wide range of habitats. It is best cultivated outdoors in light shade, but it will also tolerate direct sunlight for part of the day. In older gardens it often establishes on brick or stone walls, or on trees, especially palms. Although it will tolerate short, dry spells it is best cultivated in conditions which remain constantly moist.

Uses: For abscesses, a paste of ground leaves mixed with earth from a wasp's nest is applied. For wounds, leaf pulp is used as a dressing, and for insanity, leaves are ground in water and the liquid drunk.

M. tetraloba C.N.Cupido
Erect, slender shrublet. Leaves scattered and mostly ascending. Flowers white, occasionally with purple or pink tips. All floral parts are in fours, which is a unique feature. The corolla tube is much longer than the lobes. Flowering time: November to January. It grows on flats and lower mountain slopes in clayey soil. Records of this species exist for Faure, Gordon's Bay, Sir Lowry's Pass, Somerset West, Strand, Dal Josaphat, Du Toitskoof, Stellenbosch, Hermon and Malmesbury.

Lobostemon argenteus

The leaves are lanceolate to ovate in shape and possess long and short hairs. The inflorescence is cymous (the topmost bloom flowers first), restricted to two flowers per cyme. The flowers are medium in size (rear petals being 17-30 mm long), bell-shaped and fused below to form a tube; the 5 sepals are lanceolate in shape; dissimilar in width, shorter than half of corolla tube as well as unfused to each other; the 5 petals are predominantly violet-blue and hairless on the outside. The 5 stamens are shortly fused with the petals; the staminal scales occur well below the entrance of the corolla tube, are reduced to ridges and do not possess lateral lobes. Styles are hairy.

Lobostemon argenteus flowers mainly from August to November, although flowering specimens have been collected as late as April in the Caledon region It exhibits a disjunct distribution, occurring in three distinct regions. Current field work has resulted in re-collections within the boundaries of the Western Cape.Attempts to re-collect in the Kamiesberg vicinity and near Grahamstown have failed. The present disjunct distribution of L. argenteus is probably indicative of a once widespread distribution.

Lobostemon belliformis

The leaves are oblanceolate in shape and possess hairs similar in length. The inflorescence is cymous, with a large number of flowers per cyme. The flowers are large (rear petals longer than 30 mm); tubular in shape and fused below to form a corolla tube; the 5 sepals are oblong in shape, similar in width with two to four sepals partly fused; the 5 petals are predominantly pink to red and hairy on the outside. The 5 stamens are fused to the petals above staminal scales (for 5 mm or longer); staminal scales occur well below the entrance of the corolla tube. They are reduced to mere swellings and do not possess lateral lobes. Styles are hairy.

The plants grow mainly on stabilized sand dunes near Gouriqua, flowering from September to middle October. The showy and abundant red flowers attract birds, particularly the Orangebreasted and Lesser Doublecollared Sunbirds ( Nectarina violacea and N. chalybea ) as well as the Cape Sugarbird ( Promerops cafer ).  See more about this plant.

Lobostemon curvifolius

The leaves are narrowly oblong to oblanceolate in shape and possess hairs similar in length. Inflorescence is cymous, with a large number of flowers per cyme. The flowers are large (rear petals longer than 30 mm), bell-shaped and fused below to form a corolla tube; the 5 sepals are oblong, similar in width and unfused to each other; the 5 petals are predominantly violet-blue, or pink and hairy on the outside. The 5 stamens are shortly fused to the petals above staminal scales (less than 5 mm); staminal scales occur well below the entrance of the corolla tube, are reduced to ridges and do not possess lateral lobes. Styles are hairy.

Lobostemon curvifolius flowers mainly from August to October. The species does not appear to be confined to a single soil or vegetation type and occurs from Houw Hoek to Cape Infanta. In the western parts of its distribution range, it is mainly found in the Mountain Fynbos vegetation. Over the remaining distribution range it occurs mainly in South and South-west Coast Renosterveld. Limited collections have also been made in the Limestone Fynbos in the De Hoop area.

L. coronopifolia L.

A tufted shrublet, basally branched which grows up to 300 mm high. The leaves are sessile or sub-sessile, linear-lanceolate, 25-40 x 2-5 mm. The peduncle is axillary and terminal, generally 1-2-flowered. The corolla is purple-violet with exceptions of pink and white, glabrous, ± 20 mm long. The capsule is oblique-ellipsoid. The flowering period is between October and April. It occurs on sandy and stony flats as well as on lower mountain slopes. The species is mostly distributed in the Cape, especially Table Mountain but also occurs on the south and east coasts.

L. comosa L.

This soft, glabrous shrublet grows up to 0.5 m and is basally branched. The leaves are indistinctly petiolate or sessile, oblanceolate, 1.5-5.0 x 0.2-0.5 mm. The inflorescence is a raceme. The corolla is about 12 mm long and bright blue. The capsule is obconical. The flowering period is mainly August to January. Sandy, coastal slopes are preferred and the species ranges from Cape Peninsula to Caledon.

L. contaminata is a widely distributed species that occurs from Algeria to the Cape Peninsula and east to Bredasdorp. It has a decumbent or sprawling habit, leaves with an indentation near the middle and laterally compressed, stalked pods containing light pink seeds with a rough surface.

L. plukenetiana is distributed from the Cape Peninsula to Piquetberg, Hex River and Worcester and favours mountain slopes. It has unarticulated leaves, wing petals that are longer than the keel petals and is one of only two species that have a narrowly winged upper suture of the pod (the other is L. meyeriana).

L. wrightii is an annual pyrophyte or fireweed that occurs from the Cape Peninsula eastwards to Kogelberg and the Palmiet River Mountains. This species and L. uniflora are unique in the genus in that they have small, rudimentary stipules and hairs on the leaves, bracts, bracteoles and calyx. It has a spirally twisted keel (like L. pauciflora), large obovate wing petals, flat, straight pods and rugose black seeds mottled with white.