Adiantum formosum
Encyclopedia
Adiantum formosum, known as the Giant Maidenhair or Black Stem Maidenhair is a fern
found in Australia
and New Zealand
. It was one of the many species authored by Scottish botanist Robert Brown
, appearing in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
. Its species name is the Latin
adjective formosus "handsome" or "beautiful".
Adiantum formosum is an attractive plant, with fronds up to 120 cm (48 in) high. The rhizome of this species is unusually deep, up to 60 cm (24 in) below into the earth. The stems are black and can reach 90 cm (36 in) in length, while the fronds or blades are triangular with rectangular segments. The last segment of the frond is irregular and asymmetrical, on a short stem. This maidenhair fern can grow to 2 metres (7 ft) tall. The smallest segments of the fronds are the pinnules, which are wedge-shaped, rectangular or trapezoid. They have 1–10 sori along the margins underneath.
Adiantum formosum is found in Queensland, and New South Wales, and into Victoria, where it is less common. It also occurs in New Zealand. It is often seen growing in moist areas or along streams usually on alluvial soils, Adiantum formosum is generally found in rainforest
or in nearby open eucalyptus
forest, where it may form a large colony.
Easy to grow in cultivation, Adiantum formosum makes a good subject for container gardening. It appears to go dormant in cooler months and grow rapidly during the summer. A smaller, variegated form is commercially available and cultivated.
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It was one of the many species authored by Scottish botanist Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
, appearing in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is an 1810 flora of Australia by botanist Robert Brown. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora...
. Its species name is the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
adjective formosus "handsome" or "beautiful".
Adiantum formosum is an attractive plant, with fronds up to 120 cm (48 in) high. The rhizome of this species is unusually deep, up to 60 cm (24 in) below into the earth. The stems are black and can reach 90 cm (36 in) in length, while the fronds or blades are triangular with rectangular segments. The last segment of the frond is irregular and asymmetrical, on a short stem. This maidenhair fern can grow to 2 metres (7 ft) tall. The smallest segments of the fronds are the pinnules, which are wedge-shaped, rectangular or trapezoid. They have 1–10 sori along the margins underneath.
Adiantum formosum is found in Queensland, and New South Wales, and into Victoria, where it is less common. It also occurs in New Zealand. It is often seen growing in moist areas or along streams usually on alluvial soils, Adiantum formosum is generally found in rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
or in nearby open eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
forest, where it may form a large colony.
Easy to grow in cultivation, Adiantum formosum makes a good subject for container gardening. It appears to go dormant in cooler months and grow rapidly during the summer. A smaller, variegated form is commercially available and cultivated.