Blechnum fluviatile
Encyclopedia
Blechnum fluviatile is a fern
known in the Māori language
as kiwikiwi. A herbaceous
plant, B. fluviatile is a "hard fern" of the Blechnum
genus in the Blechnaceae
family. It was identified by Patrick Brownsey in 1979. Other common names are star fern, creek fern, kawakawa and kiwakiwa.
shape, its fertile frond
s – dark brown and spiky – stand upright from the centre, while the drooping sterile fronds with their nearly round leaflets, form the rosette. As the parent plant ages it develops a short trunk central to a surrounding colony.
; west, north and south coasts of South Island
; and Stewart Island/Rakiura
; moreover, it occurs in parts of the coastal forests of southeast Australia. Example understory flora associates in the mixed broadleaf/podocarp forests of Rakiura include Blechnum blechnoides
and Blechnum durum
.
in December 1841, at the precise locality of woods near Poverty Bay
in the North Island
.
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...
known in the Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
as kiwikiwi. A herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
plant, B. fluviatile is a "hard fern" of the Blechnum
Blechnum
Blechnum is a genus of between 150–220 species of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, with a cosmopolitan distribution. By far the greatest species diversity is in tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere, with only a few species reaching cool temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere...
genus in the Blechnaceae
Blechnaceae
Blechnaceae is a family of nine genera and between 240-260 species of ferns, with a cosmopolitan distribution.Most are ground dwelling, some are climbers, such as Stenochlaena. A characteristic feature of many species is that the young opening fronds are usually tinged with red.Genera*Blechnum L....
family. It was identified by Patrick Brownsey in 1979. Other common names are star fern, creek fern, kawakawa and kiwakiwa.
Morphology
Ladderlike fronds of B. fluviatile measure up to 50 cm (19.7 in) long. Growing in a distinctive ground-hugging rosetteRosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
shape, its fertile frond
Frond
The term frond refers to a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group...
s – dark brown and spiky – stand upright from the centre, while the drooping sterile fronds with their nearly round leaflets, form the rosette. As the parent plant ages it develops a short trunk central to a surrounding colony.
Range and ecology
The hardy B. fluviatile requires moist, shaded conditions for optimal growth. A small ground fern, the B. fluviatile is native to New Zealand and southeast Australia, a syntype common throughout the country in damp, shady areas in acidic, moist and boggy soil, beside streams in forest areas. This fern species occurs throughout much of New Zealand's forests, including much of the forested area of North IslandNorth Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
; west, north and south coasts of South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
; and Stewart Island/Rakiura
Stewart Island/Rakiura
Stewart Island/Rakiura is the third-largest island of New Zealand. It lies south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait. Its permanent population is slightly over 400 people, most of whom live in the settlement of Oban.- History and naming :...
; moreover, it occurs in parts of the coastal forests of southeast Australia. Example understory flora associates in the mixed broadleaf/podocarp forests of Rakiura include Blechnum blechnoides
Blechnum blechnoides
Blechnum blechnoides or Iquide is a hard fern species endemic to Chile.It has a distribution range from Concepción to Aisén in Chile. It grows up to altitudes of . -References:...
and Blechnum durum
Blechnum durum
Blechnum durum in the hard fern genus is within the family Blechnaceae. This fern has a somewhat restricted range in coastal forests from south of Okuru and the Haast River eastward to the Catlins on South Island, New Zealand. B...
.
History
It was collected by William ColensoWilliam Colenso
William Colenso was a Cornish Christian missionary to New Zealand, and also a printer, botanist, explorer and politician.-Life:Born in Penzance, Cornwall, he was the cousin of John William Colenso, Bishop of Natal...
in December 1841, at the precise locality of woods near Poverty Bay
Poverty Bay
Poverty Bay is the largest of several small bays on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island to the north of Hawkes Bay. It stretches for 10 kilometres from Young Nick's Head in the southwest to Tuaheni Point in the northeast. The city of Gisborne is located on the northern shore of the bay...
in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
.