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NZ Plants

Polystichum vestitum - puniu, prickly shield fern

Family: Dryopteridaceae

  • Plant

    L Jensen

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  • Frond

    I MacDonald

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  • Frond stalk (stipe) wilth large and small scales

    L Jensen

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  • Stipe, small scales

    L Jensen

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  • Scales, detail of filamentous basal regions

    L Jensen

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  • Fronc upper surface, midrib (rachis) with leaflets

    L Jensen

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  • Fond upper surface, rachis and leaflet midrib with scales

    L Jensen

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  • Scales on leaflet midrib

    L Jensen

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  • Fertile frond lower surface, rachis and leaflets with sori

    L Jensen

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  • Leaflet lower surface, scales and sori

    L Jensen

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  • Leaflet midrib with small and large scales

    L Jensen

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  • Young leaflet lower surface with sori

    L Jensen

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  • Young sori with indusium covering unopened sporangia

    L Jensen

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  • Older sori, indusium covering shrivelling to expose opening sporangia

    L Jensen

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Polystichum vestitum is a terrestrial fern with an erect stem bearing shiny dark green scaly fronds.
An endemic species found in damp montane regions on the North Island from the Hunua Ranges south to lowland and montane regions on the South Island
 

Vegetative characteristics

Fertile frond and sporangia

Plant form: creeping stems with fronds up to 2 m in length

Frond appearance: similar to sterile frond

Frond stalk, midrib: shiny scales with dark brown centres and pale borders

Sporangium location: on lower frond surface

Frond shape: narrowly elliptic

Sporangium position: to either side of vein

Frond blade: 2-pinnate (divided 2x into leaflets or pinnae)

Sporangia distribution: in groups (sori)

Frond surface: leathery

Sorus shape: circular

Leaflets: stalked, toothed, pointed at tip

Sorus covering: round

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