Silver fern
| Silver fern | ||||||||||||
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Silver tree fern ( Cyathea dealbata ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Cyathea dealbata | ||||||||||||
| ( G.Forst. ) Sw. |
The silver fern ( Cyathea dealbata ) is a species of the Cyatheaceae family . It is native to New Zealand and is the national plant there , its branches are depicted in the coat of arms of New Zealand .
description
The stem axis reaches heights of growth of up to 10 meters, at the base it reaches a diameter of up to 45 centimeters. The strong stalks of the fern leaves are up to 4 centimeters thick at the base, and their bases are long lasting. The approximately 5 centimeters long chaff scales are shiny and dark brown. The hair is yellow-brown.
The double to triple pinnate leaf blades are up to 3 meters long and 1 meter wide (occasionally also larger), wedge-shaped and almost leathery. On the top they are dark green, in young plants light green on the underside, later fronds are increasingly white to gray speckled, the fronds of adult plants are completely white or gray on the reverse side.
The elongated, pointed pinnate leaves are 30 to 50 centimeters long, the elongated-lanceolate, wedge-shaped, pointed plumage 10 centimeters or more, the leaflets up to 15 millimeters. The latter are approximately sickle-shaped and tapering to a point. The edges of the upper half are serrated and slightly inflected.
The rounded sori have a diameter of around 1 millimeter, the Indusia initially covering the sori are thin and not obsolete.
distribution
The species is found in New Zealand on the North Island , the South Island , the Chatham Islands and the Lord Howe Islands from Au to mountain forests and in bushland. In the clearings of temperate rainforests, the plants can form downright thickets.
photos
Silver leaf underside
Unfolding Leaf ( Koru )
literature
- HH Allan: Flora of New Zealand Vol. 1 - Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons , 1982, ISBN 0-477-01056-3 , First electronic edition, June 2004, online
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Richard Pott: General Geobotany: Biogeosystems and Biodiversity , 2005, p. 517, ISBN 3-540-23058-0