Cheilanthes pentagona Schelpe & N. C. Anthony

pentagona: having 5 angles, referring to the pentagonal outline of the fronds.

Rhizome creeping, up to 3 mm in diameter; rhizome scales reddish brown with dark central stripe, lanceolate in outline, margin entire. Fronds closely spaced, erect, herbaceous to coriaceous, grey to midgreen. Stipe dark brown to almost black, up to 15 cm long, glabrous but with few brown scales at the base. Lamina 3.5-11 cm × 3.5-11 cm, strongly pentagonal in outline, 3-pinnatifid to 4-pinnatifid on the basal pinnae; lowest pinnae basiscopically developed. Pinnae with venation apparent on both surfaces, both surfaces glabrous, margins wavy to shallowly lobed. Rhachis very dark brown to almost black, hairless, shiny. Sori small, marginal, discrete; indusium small, discontinuous, pale, subentire to erose, membranous.

Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe