Family: Polypodiaceae
Plant: A common widespread mat-forming fern up to 10cm high that grows on trees and rocks with a rhizome covered in reddish papery scales.
Fronds: Fronds occur in 2 different forms - the fertile fronds are narrow lanceolate 4-10cm long and 3-7mm wide, thick and leathery whilst the infertile fronds are more or less circular to spathulate 1.5-4cm diameter.
Sori: 1-2mm diameter in 1-4 irregular rows each side of the mid-rib and covering most of lower surface of fertile frond.
Rhizome: Long, creeping, much-branched with pale reddish-brown papery scales.
Habitat: Rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest.
Features: Different shapes of fertile and infertile fronds. 1-4 irregular rows of Sori. Reddish hairs and scales on its rhizome.
Name:
Pyrrosia From Greek = red, tawny (referring to the reddish-brown scales on its rhizome).
rupestris From Latin rupes = a rock and estris = habitat (referring to it growing on rocks).
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Type |
Fern |
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Trunk |
No trunk |
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Fronds |
Form |
Simple |
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Length (Total) |
Short, Medium |
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Other Features |
Hairy |
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Sori |
Arrangement |
Covering surface, In |
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|
rows |
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Rhizome |
Type |
Creeping |
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Other Features |
Scaly |
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Habitat |
Rainforest, Wet sclerophyll forest |
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