Appendices — APPENDICES — Appendix 1: Description of ferns studied in Chapter 2 Summarised from: McCarthy PM (1998) 'Flora of Australia. Volume 48: Ferns, Gymnosperms and Allied Groups.' (CSIRO: Canberra, Australia.) Australian Native Ferns Adiantum aethiopicum L., (1759) , ADIANTACEAE Maiden hair Rhizome creeping, to 3 mm diameter, stoloniferous; stolons wiry, ca. 1.5 mm diameter; scales thin, yellow, transparent, broadly triangular, entire, often spirally curled. Fronds densely tufted, or sometimes scattered along stolons, to 75 cm long. Stipe to 40 cm long, glossy, glabrous, red-brown, bearing conspicuous basal scales similar to those of the rhizome. Lamina 3-pinnate, Distribution ovate to triangular, 12–40 cm long, 5–23 cm wide. Pinnae narrowly triangular. Pinnules round to flabellate; distal margin sometimes shallowly lobed; lobe margins entire or obscurely dentate when sterile; stalks not articulated. Sori 1–5 along the distal margins, 1 (–2) per lobe; soral flaps reniform to (sub)lunate, usually at the base of a broad shallow sinus on the pinnule margin. Spores 64 per sporangium, with largest diameter (34.6–) 41.1 (–53.6) µm. Terrestrial in open forest. Blechnum cartilagineum Sw., (1806) BLECHNACEAE Gristle fern Rhizome short-creeping to erect. Sterile and fertile fronds similar, 20–50 (– 200) cm long, 4–20 (–34) cm wide. Stipe 8–70 cm long, brown to stramineous, blackening at base; basal scales subulate, entire, black; scale scars above. Lamina deltoid to ovate, pinnate, with 12–25 (–50) pairs of pinnae; rachis and costae stramineous to brown, glabrous or with sparse Distribution scales and hairs; sterile pinnae linear-lanceolate, 2–19 cm long, 6–15 mm wide, acuminate, adnate or semi-adnate throughout with broad bases with margins serrate; basal pinnae similar or longer and deflexed; fertile pinnae similar or slightly narrower. Spores 38 × 28 µm; perine scaberulous; exine smooth to granulose. Common but intermittent in a broad range of plant communities and a variety of substrata, from sea-level to 1000 m, occasionally in forest margins or moist open heaths in montane areas. In drier regions it is confined to gullies and stream banks in sclerophyllous forest. 229 A. G. Kachenko Blechnum nudum (Labill.) Mett. ex Luerss., (1876) BLECHNACEAE Fishbone water fern Rhizome forming an erect trunk. Fronds dimorphic (fertile fronds narrower and slightly shorter), 20–80 (–140) cm long, 3–12 (–21) cm wide. Stipe 2–24 cm long, purplish black to dark reddish brown; scales acuminate, entire, dark brown to black, sparse; scales and appressed hairs on distal part of stipe. Lamina oblong-lanceolate to ovate, mostly pinnate, pinnatisect near apex, Distribution with 23–65 pairs of pinnae; rachis and costae purplish black and glossy especially on lower surface, becoming stramineous towards apex and on upper surface, glabrous at maturity or with small entire often bullate, sometimes bicolorous scales and fine often appressed hairs; sterile pinnae narrowly linear-triangular, evenly tapering to apices, 2–10.5 cm long, 5–10 mm wide, adnate; margins entire; basal pinnae shorter and more obtuse; fertile pinnae linear, 3.5–5.3 cm long, 1.5–4 mm wide. Spores 51 × 35 µm; perine alate-costate, granulose-scaberulous within; exine smooth, scaberulous to granulose. This species occasionally occurs in more open habitats, where the sterile fronds are paler green to yellowish and the fertile fronds are significantly shorter Calochlaena dubia (R.Br.) M.D.Turner & R.A.White, (1988) DICKSONIACEA Common Ground Fern, Rainbow Fern Rhizome short- to medium-creeping, 1.5–2 cm thick, bearing red roots, hairy; hairs soft, some short and silvery, others longer and brown. Fronds moderately crowded, 30–150 cm long, erect with drooping tips, green to yellow green. Stipe ca. as long as lamina, hairy towards the base. Lamina broadly triangular, 3–4-pinnate, 30–80 cm long and broad, herbaceous to Distribution coriaceous, sparsely hairy; hairs more dense on the undersurfaces of rachises and veins; rachises pale, often mottled with brown. Ultimate segments oblique to the rachis, bluntly lobed; margins recurved. Sori in 2 marginal rows. Often forming extensive patches on hillsides in open eucalypt forest, also colonising disturbed sites such as road cuttings. 230 Appendices Dennstaedtia davallioides (R.Br.) T.Moore, (1861) , DENNSTAEDTIACEAE Lacy Ground Fern Rhizome long-creeping, woody. Stipe and rachis dark chestnut-brown below, yellow-brown at apex, bearing dense non-glandular hairs at base; hairs sparser above; stipe 30–75 cm long, 3–6 mm diam. Lamina broadly ovate to broadly elliptic, 35–90 cm long, 25–70 cm wide, 3–4-pinnate at base, with sparse colourless and brown non-glandular hairs along midrib and veins. Primary Distribution pinnae in 15–25 pairs, shortly stalked; longest 23–45 cm long, 10–25 cm wide, arising at narrow angles. Secondary pinnae arising at wide angles; longest 6–15 cm long, 2–4.5 cm wide; midribs winged. Longest tertiary pinnae 10–25 mm long, 5–10 mm wide, often divided almost to midrib into narrow ultimate pinnules. Sori with or without paraphyses, 1 per sinus of ultimate segments. Spores dark, reticulate. Terrestrial in rainforest and wet eucalypt forest, especially along creek banks Doodia aspera R.Br., (1810) BLECHNACEAE Prickly Rasp Fern Rhizome erect, to ca. 10 cm tall, or short- to long-creeping. Stipe with tubercles. Fronds not dimorphic. Lamina pinnate, 13.5–49.5 cm long, 2–30 cm wide; apical lobe ca. (one-sixth–) one-ninth to one-tenth or less of lamina length. Pinnae simple, all except (occasionally) the lowest pair adnate to rachis; longest pinnae 1–13 (–31) cm long, 4–12 (–20) mm wide; rachis and Distribution abaxial surface of pinna midvein with tubercles. Sori 0.8–2 mm long, 0.8–1.5 mm wide, discrete, rarely contiguous when mature, in 1 or 2 rows on each side of pinna midvein; inner row (0–) 0.2–1 mm from pinna midvein, nearer to it when 2 rows on each side than when only 1 is present; outer row usually nearer to margin than to pinna midvein. In tropical and temperate rainforest and open Eucalyptus forest, usually in shade. 231 A. G. Kachenko Hypolepis muelleri N.A.Wakef., (1943) , DENNSTAEDTIACEAE Harsh Ground Fern Stipe and rachis mostly yellow-brown, bearing sparse non-glandular hairs; stipe 12–80 cm long, 1.5–5 mm diam. Lamina rhombic to broadly ovate, 20– 100 cm long, 15–70 cm wide, 3-pinnate at base, with abundant colourless stiff slightly curved non-glandular hairs 0.3–0.8 mm long on undersides of veins and midribs. Primary pinnae in 15–30 pairs; longest 13–45 cm long, Distribution 6.5–28 cm wide. Longest secondary pinnae 3.5–15 cm long, 12–50 mm wide, decreasing markedly in size along primary pinnae; midrib winged. Longest tertiary pinnae 6–25 mm long, 3–10 mm wide. Veins ending in apices of ultimate pinnules. Sori with paraphyses among sporangia, unprotected by laminal flaps, often absent from lowest 2 pairs of pinnae. Spores pale, echinate, 31–34 × 20–23 µm. Found along creek banks and drainage channels in dry, shaded, sclerophyll forest, and on swampy ground in more open country. Nephrolepis cordifolia (L.) C.Presl, (1836) DAVALLIACEAE Fishbone Fern, Herringbone Fern, Sword Fern Stolons often producing spherical tubers to 15 mm diam.; stolons, tubers and basal portions of stipes densely covered with linear-lanceolate brown scales with short basal processes and denticulate margins. Fronds to 1 m long (rarely longer); rachis bearing scales consisting of a round dark base giving rise to 1 longer and many shorter hair-like processes. Pinnae usually Distribution glabrous, with an enlarged rounded basal auricle overlapping the rachis. Sterile pinnae 12–35 mm long, 6–11 mm wide; margins crenulate towards the rounded apex. Fertile pinnae often shorter, with crenate margins. Sori submarginal, usually in very regular rows with open side of reniform indusium oriented towards pinna apex. Naturalised in the Sydney region and recorded as an occasional garden escape in Victoria. Probably pantropical, but its taxonomy is confused. Terrestrial on banks or in rock crevices in exposed sites, occasionally epiphytic or in limestone caves. 232 Appendices Pellaea falcata (R.Br.) Fée, (1850–1852) ADIANTACEAE Sickle Fern Rhizome long-creeping; scales narrowly ovate, ca. 1.5–2 mm long, basally attached, with a midrib of black occluded cells; margins entire, of paler brown open cells; apex attenuate and acute. Fronds 37–105 cm long. Stipe 10–25 cm long (20–30% length of frond), ca. 5–10 mm apart, dark brown, ± cylindrical; stipe and rachis clothed with scales and uniseriate hairs; scales narrowly Distribution triangular, 3–4 mm long, spreading, persistent, mid- to dark brown. Lamina 1- pinnate, narrowly ovate, 18–67 cm long, with 27–65 (–95) sessile or shortly stalked pinnae (stalk less than 2 mm long). Pinnae oblong to linear-oblong, 22–56 mm long, 5–12 mm wide, dark green above, pale green beneath, coriaceous, ± glabrous; base truncate to cordate; margins entire, sometimes minutely crenate or toothed towards apex; apex obtuse or acute; veins free, forked, obscure. Sporangia in a continuous, marginal band ca. 1 mm wide, absent from base and sometimes from apex; indusium membranous, obscured by sporangia at maturity. Spores trilete, ± globose, coarsely echinate Terrestrial or lithophytic in rainforest or tall open forest. Australian Naturalised Ferns Pteris vittata L., (1753) PTERIDACEAE Ladder Brake, Chinese Brake Terrestrial or lithophytic ferns. Rhizome short-creeping; scales numerous, conspicuous, ca. 5 mm long, narrowly triangular, pale brown. Fronds monomorphic, arching, appearing to radiate from a crown. Stipe usually ca. 2– 25 cm long, pale brown, grooved, scaly towards base. Lamina 1-pinnate, oblong-obovate, ca. 15–80 cm long, ca. 5–30 cm wide. Pinnae closely spaced, Distribution to 25 cm long, narrowly oblong and tapering above, decreasing in length from apex to base, most pinnae attached by midrib only; base subcordate, ± overlying rachis; margins finely serrate in sterile zones.