Endemism of Asplenium in continental Africa Forty Asplenium species (Tab. 2) have a range-restricted distribution in continental Africa and are often only found in a single area. The most species-rich region is the Albertine Rift, with nine species in Rwanda (Asplenium burundense Pic.Serm., A. centrafricanum Pic.Serm., A. majus (Hieron.) Pic.Serm., A. markusbeckeri sp. nov., A. musiraense Viane, A. rukararense Hieron., A. uschiae sp. nov., A. ramicola sp. nov., A. tenuicaudatum Pic.Serm.), 12 species in D.R.Congo, 10 of which are confined to Eastern Congo (Asplenium burundense Pic.Serm., A. centrafricanum Pic. Serm., A. lambinonii Pichi Sermolli 1985: 140, A. majus (Hieron.) Pic.Serm., A. markusbeckeri sp. nov., A. rukararense Hieron., A. rutshuruense Taton ex Pichi Sermolli 1977b: 81, A. ruwenzoriense Baker 1901: 137, A. uschiae sp. nov., A. tenuicaudatum Pic.Serm.), one (Asplenium staudtii Hieronymus 1911: 357) confined to Western D.R. Congo, and one (Asplenium chaseanum Schelpe 1967: 206) to Haut Katanga. Four species occur in Burundi within the Albertine Rift (Asplenium burundense Pic.Serm., A. centrafricanum Pic.Serm., A. reekmansii Pichi Sermolli 1985: 148, A. rukararense Hieron.). This high species number (12 species in total) again highlights the importance of the Albertine Rift as a hotspot of biodiversity. Six species are restricted to Tanzania (Asplenium albersii Hieronymus (1911: 380), A. arcumontanum Hemp & N.R.Crouch (2018: 1), A. musiraense Viane, A. peteri Becherer (1929: 180), A. pocsii Pichi Sermolli (1973: 432), A. udzungwense Beentje), three species to São Tomé (Asplenium eurysorum Hieronymus 1911: 364, A. exhaustum (Christ 1909: 23) Alston 1944: 76, A. nigritianum Hooker 1861: t. 43), Ethiopia (Asplenium balense Chaerle & Viane 2007: 149, A, demerkense Hieronymus 1911: 376, A. stipicellatum Pichi Sermolli (1977a: 63)), Uganda (Asplenium majus (Hieron.) Pic.Serm., A. musiraense Viane, A. ruwenzoriense Baker (1901: 137)), Zimbabwe (Asplenium mossambicense (Schelpe 1968: 235), A. sebungweense J.E. Burrows 1989: 173, A. simii Braithwaite & Schelpe (Schelpe 1967: 209), and South Africa (Asplenium multiforme Krasser 1900: 4, A. prionites Kunze 1836: 511, A. simii Braithwaite & Schelpe), two species to Liberia (Asplenium harleyanum. Kunkel 1965: 54, A. schnellii Tardieu 1949: 370), Bioko (Asplenium isabelense Brause in Brause& Hieronymus 1915: 382). A.biafranum F.Ballard), Annobon (Asplenium annobonense Viane in Viane & Reichstein 1992: 158, A. nigritianum Hook.), Cameroon (Asplenium annetii (Jeanpert 1921: 3) Alston 1951: 193, Gabon (Asplenium annetii (Jeanp.) Alston, A. hallei Tardieu 1964b: 125), Sudan (Asplenium demerkense Hieronymus 1911: 375, A. schweinfurthii Baker 1888: 328), Kenya (Asplenium albersii Hieron., A. peteri Becherer), and Zambia (Asplenium chaseanum Schelpe, A. sebungweense J.E.Burrows), and one endemic species has been recorded in each of Guinea (Asplenium irregulare Baker [Hooker & Baker 1868: 222]), Principe (Asplenium eurysorum Hieron.), Eritrea (Asplenium erythraeum Pichi Sermolli [1977a: 57]), Mozambique (Asplenium mossambicense Schelpe) and Swaziland (Asplenium multiforme Krasser) (Roux 2009).

Published as part of Fischer, Eberhard & Lobin, Wolfram, 2023, Synoptic Revision of Aspleniaceae (Asplenium, Hymenasplenium) of Rwanda, pp. 1-65 in Phytotaxa 608 (1) on page 59, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.608.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8248950