Phil Bendle Collection:Microsorum pustulatum (Hound s tongue)

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pteridophyta
Class: Pteridopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Microsorum
Species: M. pustulatum
Binomial name: Microsorum pustulatum, 
Subordinate taxa: Microsorum pustulatum subsp. pustulatum
Synonyms: Microsorum diversifolium, Phymatosorus diversifolius 
Common names: Hound's tongue, kowaowao, Kowhaowhao, pāraharaha

Microsorum pustulatum is an epiphytic fern native to Australia and New Zealand. The glossy, bright, green fronds vary in shape and size. Fronds may be simple fronds tapering gradually at the base, acuminate at the apex to 22.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, to deeply pinnatifid to 37.5 cm long and up to15 cm wide. They spread by fragmentation of the conspicuous bright green and brown hairy rhizomes. Fronds are bright green, glossy and leathery. They are uncut and strap-shaped in young plants and once-cut on mature plants. It is common in coastal to montane areas. It is often epiphytic (growing on trees), usually in slightly drier places. It has thick rhizomes and large round sori (spore capsules) on the underside of fertile fronds.

A group of sterile fronds.
[1]

A group of fertile fronds
[2]

Sterile Microsorum pustulatum with adult fronds growing as an epiphyte.[3] 

The top surface of a fertile frond.
[4]  

The underside of a fertile frond with round unprotected sori.
[5] 

 
A sterile frond. 
[6]

The underside of a sterile frond.
[7]

Juvenile fronds are edible[http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/image_files/0000/0003/5129/Microsorum_pustulatum-3.JPG 

A range of juvenile fronds shapes][8]

Photos of the Subordinate taxa: Microsorum pustulatum subsp. pustulatum.
The upper surface of a frond.

Developing sori
[9]

A video on Microsorum pustulatumVIDEO

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information:

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

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