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NZ Plants

Blechnum vulcanicum - mountain hard fern

Hard fern family: Blechnaceae

  • Plants with sterile and fertile fronds

    L Jensen

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  • Sterile frond

    I MacDonald

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  • Mature frond stalk (stipe) with scales

    L Jensen

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  • Young stipe, hairs and scales

    L Jensen

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  • Young frond stipe, hair detail

    L Jensen

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  • Sterile frond upper surface, midrib (rachis) and leaflets

    L Jensen

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  • Sterile leaflet, upper surface

    L Jensen

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  • Sterile leaflet, lower surface

    L Jensen

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  • Sterile leaflet lower surface hair

    L Jensen

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  • Sterile leaflet lower surface, hairs along midrib

    L Jensen

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  • Sterile leaflet lower surface, hairs

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Fertile frond

    I MacDonald

    View picture

  • Fertile frond upper surface, rachis with leaflets

    L Jensen

    View picture

  • Fertile frond lower surface, rachis with leaflets

    L Jensen

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  • Fertile frond lower suface, rachis with hairs

    L Jensen

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  • Sori elongated either side of the leaflet midvein with indusium covering sporangia

    L Jensen

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Blechnum vulcanicum has a short-creeping to erect stem with harsh sterile fronds which usually hang down from banks.
Found in subalpine forest on the North Island down to sea level on the South Island.
 

Vegetative characteristics

Fertile frond and sporangia

Plant form: fronds up to 700 mm in length.

Frond appearance: erect up to 700 mm, leaflets very narrow, mostly equal in length and widely spaced

Frond stalk, midrib: linear scales, hairs

Sporangium location: on lower frond surface

Frond shape: elliptic to narrowly triangular

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 their base; basal pair of leaflets oriented away from frond tip

Sorus covering: linear covering (indusium) opening toward midrib

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