Family: Blechnaceae
Plant: An erect or semi-erect fern up to 1.5m high.
Fronds: Pinnate, triangular-shaped, 50-100cm long. Light yellow-green, rough and leathery when mature, but pink-tipped when young. Lower pinnae are longest, gradually tapering toward apex. Pinnae are pointed at the tips and have finely serrated margins. They are attached to the rachis by their broad bases. Stipes are dark and scaly at base.
Sori: In two bands on either side of mid-vein protected by indusium. In the fertile fronds the pinnae are narrower than those of the sterile fronds.
Rhizome: Short, creeping and covered with black scales.
Habitat: Damp locations in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest.
Features: Pinnate fronds and broad bases of pinnae.
Name:
Blechnum From the Greek name for a type of fern.
cartilagineum
From Latin cartilago = cartilage or tendon and eus = like (referring to its tough fronds).
|
Type |
Fern |
|
|
Trunk |
|
No trunk |
|
Fronds |
Form |
Compound |
|
|
Length (Total) |
Very long |
|
|
Other Features |
Toothed/Serrated |
|
Sori |
Arrangement |
In rows |
|
Rhizome |
Type |
Erect, Creeping |
|
|
Other Features |
Scaly |
|
Habitat |
Rainforest, Wet sclerophyll forest |
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