Schizaea bifida (Schizaeaceae)
Schizaea bifida (Schizaeaceae) is also known as the forked comb fern. A fairly common fern found in Eastern Australia and Southern Australia. In New South Wales it is found near the coast eucalyptus woodland and heathland. It is also seen in New Zealand and New Caledonia.
I have been meaning to post something more substantive, but very busy with other things. So here another plant, and a strangely looking one: Schizaea bifida (Schizaeaceae), a little fern from the Blue Mountains, 2011. Yes, except for the rootstock that is it, that's the whole fern. Some species of Schizaea have finely divided sterile leaves, but as the Flora of NSW Online remarks, in this species they are "rarely present", so what you see is a cluster of green lines with sporangia on top, the fertile leaves in all their splendour. But who is complaining? I love weird plants.
This was one of the plant groups I had only read about before coming to Australia, so when I saw it during a family holiday I was very happy. Sadly I have not again run into the genus since that one time six years ago.
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
No comments:
Post a Comment