Austroblechnum penna-marina

Austroblechnum penna-marina
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Aspleniineae
Family: Blechnaceae
Genus: Austroblechnum
Species:
A. penna-marina
Binomial name
Austroblechnum penna-marina
(Poir.) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich[1]
Synonyms[2][1]
  • Acrostichum polytrichoides Thouars
  • Blechnum alpinum (R.Br.) Mett.
  • Blechnum hillii C.Chr.
  • Blechnum parvifolium (Colenso) C.Chr.
  • Blechnum penna-marina (Poir.) Kuhn
  • Blechnum uliginosum (Phil.) C.Chr.
  • Lomaria alpina (R.Br.) Spreng.
  • Lomaria antarctica Carmich.
  • Lomaria distans Colenso
  • Lomaria linearis CoI.
  • Lomaria parvifolia Colenso
  • Lomaria penna-marina (Poir.) Trevis.
  • Lomaria polypodioides Desv.ex Gaudich.
  • Lomaria pumila Raoul
  • Lomaria trichomanoides Desv.
  • Lomaria uliginosa Phil.
  • Lonchitis penna-marina (Poir.) Farw.
  • Lonchitis-aspera penna-marina (Poir.) Farw.
  • Polypodium penna-marina Poir.
  • Spicanta penna-marina (Poir.) Kuntze
  • Spicanta pumila (Raoul) Kuntze
  • Stegania alpina R.Br.
  • Struthiopteris distans (Colenso) Ching
  • Struthiopteris penna-marina (Poir.) Maxon & Morton
Little Hard Fern near Mount Cook, New Zealand, November 2022

Austroblechnum penna-marina, synonym Blechnum penna-marina,[1] known as Antarctic hard-fern,[3] Little Hard Fern, Alpine Hard Fern, alpine water fern and pinque (Chilean Spanish), is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae. It is a widely distributed fern species in the southern hemisphere, with a natural range including New Zealand, Australia, and South America.[4]

It has wiry rhizomes and exhibits strong dimorphism in its fronds.[4] The sterile fronds are prostrate or semi-erect, growing up to 400 mm in length, while the fertile fronds are longer and held erect.[4] The sterile fronds have a yellow-brown stem, while the fertile fronds have a purplish-black stipe. Both types of fronds have pinnatisect laminae with free veins.[4] The sterile fronds have 12–44 pairs of triangular or oblong pinnae, while the fertile fronds have 10–36 pairs of linear to narrowly oblong pinnae, which are replaced by tiny sterile flanges at the base.[4]

This fern prefers coastal to alpine environments, including open forests, grasslands, subalpine scrub, alpine herb fields, creek beds, river terraces, and rocky herb fields.[4][5] It can be found from sea level up to 1900 meters above sea level.[4] The preferred temperature range for its productivity is 6 to 11 degrees Celsius.[6] It faces predation from endemic alpine grasshoppers such as Brachaspis nivalis, Paprides nitidus, and Sigaus australis.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Hassler, Michael & Schmitt, Bernd (November 2019), "Austroblechnum penna-marina ssp. penna-marina", Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World, 8.11, archived from the original on 2017-09-02, retrieved 2019-12-22
  2. ^ Hassler, Michael & Schmitt, Bernd (November 2019), "Austroblechnum penna-marina ssp. alpina", Checklist of Ferns and Lycophytes of the World, 8.11, archived from the original on 2017-09-02, retrieved 2019-12-22
  3. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Brownsey, P.J.; Perrie, L.R. (2021). "Blechnum penna-marina (Poir.) Kuhn". NZFlora. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  5. ^ Lange, P. J. de. (2012). "Austroblechnum Penna-Marina Subsp. Alpina". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  6. ^ Rossouw, M. W. (2016). "Functional response of Blechnum penna-marina to desiccation in tundra environments". Antarctic Legacy Archive. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  7. ^ "Blechnum penna-marina Host simple report". PlantSynz - Invertebrate herbivore biodiversity assessment tool: Database. Landcare Research. 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.