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NZ Plants
Blechnum penna-marina, subsp.alpina - alpine hard fern
Hard fern family: Blechnaceae
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Plant with fertile and sterile fronds
L Jensen
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Sterile frond (left) and fertile frond (right)
I MacDonald
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Sterile frond upper surface, midrib (rachis) and leaflets
L Jensen
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Sterile frond lower surface, midrib (rachis) and leaflets
L Jensen
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Rachis lower surface, scales
L Jensen
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Fertile frond upper surface, rachis with leaflets
L Jensen
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Fertile frond lower surface, sori beneath inrolled leaflet margins
L Jensen
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Young sori with indusium covering
L Jensen
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Blechnum penna-marina subspecies alpina is a small fern with a creeping stem (rhizome) bearing a horizontal circle of bronze-green sterile leaves and erect fertile leaves up to twice as long as sterile .
Found in coastal and lowland forest throughout New Zealand.
Vegetative characteristics |
Fertile frond and sporangia |
|---|---|
Plant form: horizontal fronds up to 120 mm in length. |
Frond appearance: erect up to 250 mm, leaflets very narrow, mostly equal in length and widely spaced |
Frond stalk, midrib: scales mostly at base of stipe, sparse elsewhere; linear to ovate, red-brown |
Sporangium location: on lower frond surface |
Frond shape: linear |
Sporangium position: leaflet margin |
Frond blade: pinnate (divided 1 x into leaflets or pinnae) |
Sporangium distribution: in groups (sori) |
Frond surface: leathery |
Sorus shape: in a continuous line either side of midrib |
Leaflets: oblong, blunt or pointed, attached along broad base (adnate) |
Sorus covering: linear covering (indusium) opening toward midrib |
