Actiniopteris radiata
Encyclopedia
Actiniopteris radiata ('Actiniopteris' - 'ray fern') is a widely distributed fern occurring throughout Africa
and adjacent islands, Madagascar
, Arabia, Iran
, Afghanistan
, Nepal
, India
, Sri Lanka
, Burma and Australia
.
This species is found in hot, dry habitats, growing at the base of rocks and in crevices, but also on deep soil in shady places. It is common in deciduous
woodland
with perennially high temperatures and low rainfall, ranging from 500m to 1300m.
The distinctive fronds issue from a prostrate rhizome
and are somewhat dimorphic
. The laminae are 15-45mm long and fan-shaped with a spread of some 180 degrees, the tip of each segment bearing 2-5 teeth.
Tests have shown that an aqueous and ethanolic extract of Actiniopteris radiata exhibits potent analgesic
properties and antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli
. The species also shows anti-fertility
, styptic, anthelmintic
and anti-tubercular
properties. Major chemical constituents are hentriacontane
, hentriacontanol, β-sitosterol, β-sitosterol palmitate, β-sitosterol-D-glucoside and quarcetin-3-rutinoside
There are 4 species in the genus:
In 1992 Botswana
issued a postage stamp by Gillian Condy
depicting this species. http://colnect.com/af/stamps/stamp/178733-Actiniopteris_radiata-Christmas_Ferns-Botswana
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and adjacent islands, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Arabia, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Burma and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
This species is found in hot, dry habitats, growing at the base of rocks and in crevices, but also on deep soil in shady places. It is common in deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
with perennially high temperatures and low rainfall, ranging from 500m to 1300m.
The distinctive fronds issue from a prostrate rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
and are somewhat dimorphic
Frond dimorphism
Frond dimorphism refers to a difference in ferns between the fertile and sterile fronds. Since ferns, unlike flowering plants, bear spores on the leaf blade itself, this may affect the form of the frond itself...
. The laminae are 15-45mm long and fan-shaped with a spread of some 180 degrees, the tip of each segment bearing 2-5 teeth.
Tests have shown that an aqueous and ethanolic extract of Actiniopteris radiata exhibits potent analgesic
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
properties and antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
. The species also shows anti-fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
, styptic, anthelmintic
Anthelmintic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are drugs that expel parasitic worms from the body, by either stunning or killing them. They may also be called vermifuges or vermicides .-Pharmaceutical classes:...
and anti-tubercular
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
properties. Major chemical constituents are hentriacontane
Hentriacontane
Hentriacontane, also called untriacontane, is a solid, long-chain alkane hydrocarbon with the structural formula CH329CH3. It is found in a variety of plants, including peas , gum arabic and others, and also comprises about 8-9% of beeswax. It has 10,660,307,791 constitutional isomers.- External...
, hentriacontanol, β-sitosterol, β-sitosterol palmitate, β-sitosterol-D-glucoside and quarcetin-3-rutinoside
There are 4 species in the genus:
- Actiniopteris dimorpha Pichi-Serm.; Webbia 17: 18, f.2 (1962)
- A. pauciloba Pichi-Serm.; Webbia 17: 21, f.3 (1962)
- A. radiata (Koenig ex Swartz) Link; Fil. Sp. 80 (1841)
- A. semiflabellata Pichi-Serm.; Webbia 17: 24, f.4 (1962)
In 1992 Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
issued a postage stamp by Gillian Condy
Gillian Condy
Gillian Condy, born 5 December 1952 Nairobi, is a South African botanical artist. She has illustrated over 200 plates for , contributed to various other publications and 8 plates for . She has illustrated two books by Charles Craib, Geophytic Pelargoniums and Grass Aloes in the South African Veld...
depicting this species. http://colnect.com/af/stamps/stamp/178733-Actiniopteris_radiata-Christmas_Ferns-Botswana
Synonyms
- Acrostichum dichotomum [family PTERIDACEAE], [sensu Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 184 (1775), non L.]
- Asplenium radiatum Sw. [family ASPLENIACEAE], in J. Bot. (Schrader) 1800 (2): 50 (1801)
- Acrostichum radiatum (Sw.) Poir. [family PTERIDACEAE], Encycl. Méth. Bot. Suppl. 1: 128 (1810)
- Acropteris radiata (Sw.) Link [family ASPLENIACEAE], Hort. Berol 2: 56 (1833)
- Pteris radiata (Sw.) Bojer , Hort. Maurit.: 399 (1837)
- Asplenium polydactylon Webb [family ASPLENIACEAE], Spic. Gorgon. in Hook. Niger Fl.: 193 (1849). Type: Cape Verde Is., Webb (? FI, holo.)
- Actiniopteris australis [family ACTINIOPTERIDACEAE], [sensu Sim, Ferns S. Afr. ed. 2: 250, t. 34/2 (1915), non (L.f.) Link]
- Actiniopteris australis var. radiata (Sw.) C. Chr.