Municipalities

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Scientific Name

Schizaea asperula

Family Name

SCHIZAEACEAE

Common Name

Rough comb- fern

Status

Height

fronds 0.1m - 0.3m (10-30cm)

Flowers

None

Fruit

Spores

Form

Fern with fertile fronds tall, thin, very flattened, branched up to 4 times, rough, lanky with small combs. Sterile fronds forked, fan-shaped.

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Dorset; Georgetown; Latrobe; West Tamar

Communities

Coastal Vegetation; Dry Eucalypt Forest and Woodland

Habitat Notes

Rare in Tasmania. Occurs at or near sea-level in sandy soils of heathland or dry sclerophyll forest.

Site Tolerance

Dry; Exposed; Moist; Shady

Frost Tolerance

Soil Tolerance

Poor; Sandy; Well-drained

General Notes

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

Sporangia on leaf margins (sorophores) have long, intricate, marginal hairs

Seed Treatment Method

Seed Storage Life

Viable Seeds Per Gram

Seed Treatment Notes

There is no record of success in spore raising because of the delicate fungal symbiosis.

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

Transplanting of most species is very difficult as they do not tolerate disturbance of the root system which is often buried deep in the soil. Plants from a wet habitat over rock are most likely to succeed. Once established they can be maintained in conditions similar to the original habitat.