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Scientific Name
Rumohra adiantiformis
Family Name
DRYOPTERIDACEAE
Common Name
Leathery shield fern, Shield hare's-foot
Status
Height
fronds 1.2m (120cm)
Flowers
None
Fruit
Spores
Form
Has long, creeping, scaly rhizome; glossy, leathery , triangular fronds, semi-erect; stipesgrooved on upper surface.
Municipalities
Break O'Day; Burnie; Central Coast; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Derwent Valley; Devonport; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; King Island; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Sorell; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar
Communities
Coastal Vegetation; Dry Eucalypt Forest and Woodland; Rainforest; Wet eucalypt forest and fern gullies
Habitat Notes
Widespread and abundant to 500m (rarely to 900m) in rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest, fern gullies and sheltered rock outcrops within dry sclerophyll forest and coastal scrub. Sometimes also epiphytic on Dicksonia and a range of tree species.Will tolerate salt laden winds in coastal situations.
Site Tolerance
Dry; Moist; Rocky; Shady
Frost Tolerance
Hardy
Soil Tolerance
Fertile; Loam; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained; Epiphytic on dicksonia or tree species; Rotting logs and tree stumps
General Notes
Easily raised from spores.Fronds, or portions of fronds, containing ripe spores can be placed in a paper bag which is left upright in a dry and draught-free place. Spores should begin to release immediately and all spores are released within days unless the species has tough, leathery fronds. Spores settle at the bottom of the bag. After sowing specks of green appear within 2-4 weeks. These are the young prothalli and during the next 6-12 months they are at risk from overcrowding and pathogens. When the first fronds appear the sporelings can be slowly hardened by gradual removal of the container cover. Great care must be taken to avoid drying out. Resents disturbance. Suitable below powerlines.
Propagation Details
Propagation Calendar
Flowering Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Collecting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sowing Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Cutting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Spores borne on dark rounded sori with shield-like indusia.spores are collected when mature on the frond. unripe sori are generally light green then change to yellowish brown and to dark brown or black when mature
Seed Treatment Method
Standard
Seed Storage Life
Viable Seeds Per Gram
Seed Treatment Notes
Sow spores into a pot in a water retaining medium with good drainage. Sterilise medium & containerwith boiling water and sow spores bysprinkling a small amount onto the surface of the medium. Cover immediately with clean glass or plastic wrap and leave in a warm area in strong light but not direct sunlight.
Germination Time
Suitable for Direct Seeding
Cuttings
Expected Time to Take Root
Expected Time to Plant Out
Propagation by Division
N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.
Cutting Notes
Very easy to grow once established. Resents disturbance and is best grown on a slab or basket in epiphyte mixture.
Copyright 2000-2009, Understorey Network Incorporated. Updated 2024-12-11
Database development and website design by
Andrew Smith