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NZ Plants
Asplenium flabellifolium - walking fern, necklace fern
Spleenwort family: Aspleniaceae
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Plants
J Braggins
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Growing frond, leaflets are closely spaced in the lower half of the frond and widely spaced and reduced toward the tip
I MacDonald
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Mature fronds, the distal midrib (rachis) of the frond lacks leaflets
L Jensen
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Mature fronds, distal rachises with tips touching the ground
L Jensen
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Frond, tip of rachis with developing plantlet bud
L Jensen
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Tip of frond, plantlet bud forming first leaf and roots
L Jensen
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Older plantlet with young frond
L Jensen
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Frond leaflets, upper surface
L Jensen
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Frond leaflets and midrib (rachis) with hairs
L Jensen
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Young frond, detail of hairs
L Jensen
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Fertile leaflets, lower surface with sori
L Jensen
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Sori with indusium covering and sporangia
L Jensen
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Asplenium flabellifolium is a terrestrial fern with a short erect stem and small, narrow, almost horizontal fronds. An unusual feature is the extension of the frond midrib (rachis) beyond the uppermost leaflets. When this rachis touches the soil it develops into a new plant hence the common name ‘walking fern’.
Widely distributed in lowland to subalpine areas throughout New Zealand, mostly in dry rocky ground, scoria, open scrub. .
Vegetative characteristics |
Fertile frond and sporangia |
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Plant form: short, erect rhizome with fronds up to 250 mm in length |
Frond appearance: similar to sterile frond |
Frond stalk, midrib: small unbranched, glandular hairs |
Sporangium location: on lower frond surface |
Frond shape: linear |
Sporangium position: radiating along veins |
Frond blade: pinnate (divided 1x into leaflets or pinnae) |
Sporangia distribution: in groups (sori) |
Frond surface: hairless |
Sorus shape: linear |
Leaflets: fan-shaped, toothed on outer margin and attached by a short stalk ; small glandular hairs |
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