Phil Bendle Collection:Asplenium flabellifolium (Necklace fern)

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pteridophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Aspleniaceae
Genus: Asplenium
Species: A. flabellifolium
Binomial name: Asplenium flabellifolium
Synonyms: Chamaefilix flabellifolium, Asplenium flabellifolium var. ramosum.
Common name: Necklace fern, Butterfly fern, Walking fern.

Asplenium flabellifolium is a small indigenous fern occurs in New Zealand from Bay of Islands south. It is also present in Australia. Its natural habitats are open forests in coastal to subalpine areas. Usually on the ground, but sometimes it is epiphytic. It grows in rock crevices, caves, on fallen logs and tree trunks, alongside stream banks, near cliffs, waterfalls but never in deep shade or dense forest.
The fronds are 10 to 20 cm long, with 5 to 20 pairs of pinnae (leaflets), often fan-shaped or sometimes lanceolate.

For more information visit:  http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=2054

Photographed at Otari Wilton Bush Reserve, Wellington.

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

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