BLECHNACEAE

Hard water-fern

 

0.3m - 1.0m (30-100cm) 

None 

Spores 

Medium sized coarse fern , fronds dark green, erect, bearing dark scales. 

Break O'Day; Brighton; Burnie; Central Coast; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Clarence; Derwent Valley; Devonport; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Glenorchy; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; King Island; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Sorell; Southern Midlands; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar 

Rainforest; Riparian; Wet Eucalypt Forest 

Widespread and abundant from sea level to 1000m in a range of vegetation types but broadly absent from the Midlands. May be dominant groundcover in rainforest and wet sclerophyll. Grows in extensive colonies.Will not tolerate dryness but will tolerate salt-laden winds in coastal situations. 

Moist; Shady; Waterlogged; Windy 

Hardy 

Fertile; Loam; Poor; Poorly-drained; Well-drained 

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. Some species produce vast quantities of spores from one frond, others require dozens of fronds to produce the same amount. 2-4 weeks after sowing specks of green appear. 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. Prick out sporelings when the second frond appears. Suitable below powerlines. 

Collect spores when mature on the frond. unripe sori aregenerally light green then change to yellowish brown and to dark brown or black when mature. fertile segments on separate fronds. see also general notes 

Standard 

 

 

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. 

2-4 weeks 

 

 

 

Yes 

Propagate by division of rhizome. This method has a high success rate. This species is suitable for tub culture.