Cheilanthes involuta var. obscura (N. C. Anthony) N. C. Anthony

involuta: inrolled, referring to the sometimes inrolled pinnule margin; obscura: obscure, venation not being very visible

Rhizome shortly creeping to ascending, c. 4 mm in diameter; rhizome scales reddish brown sometimes with central dark stripe, apex slowly tapering to a point, margin entire, sometimes minutely toothed, up to 6 mm long. Fronds tufted, herbaceous to coriaceous. Stipe dark brown, grooved, set with brown to blackish scales up to 3 mm long, more so at the base. Lamina 3-24 cm × 2-13 cm, ovate to subdeltate in outline, 2-pinnate to 3-pinnatifid; ultimate segments oblong-ovate to subhastate, venation obscure, free, upper surface hairless, undersurface set with a few lanceolate scales along the costules. Rhachis and secondary rhachises with brown, lanceolate, hairlike scales. Sori linear, marginal; indusium continuous, suberose.

Angola, Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Naminia, Socotra, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe