''Zealandia pustulata'' is a species of fern native to eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and New Zealand. It is commonly referred to as kangaroo fern because of its mature leaves tend to resemble the shape of a kangaroo foot. It is also referred to as hound's tongue, and as kōwaowao and pāraharaha in Māori.

Description

This epiphytic fern species seems to climb onto suitable substrates (fallen logs, rocks, growing plants etc.) via long, creeping grey-green rhizomes. The

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

have clathrate, ovate scales which are 3-7 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. Generally, the species exhibits 1-9 pairs of lobed, glossy-green fronds which are erect to pendant and can range from 5-50 cm in length. The texture of the fronds is leathery, and they have thick, wavy margins. They have distinct, relatively large (approximately 3-4 mm wide) circular sori on their abaxial surface. The spores themselves are 45–62.5 µm long, 20–32.5 µm wide, pale, with wart-like protuberances.The species can grow to a maximum height of approximately 30 cm and a maximum width of approximately 120 cm.

Distribution and habitat

''Zealandia pustulata'' ranges from southeastern Queensland through New South Wales to Victoria on the Australian mainland, and to Tasmania, Lord Howe Island,

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

, New Zealand's North and

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

islands, and the Chatham, Kermadec, and

Antipodes In geography, the antipode () of any spot on Earth is the point on Earth's surface diametrically opposite to it. A pair of points ''antipodal'' () to each other are situated such that a straight line connecting the two would pass through Ear ...

islands. ''Zealandia pustulata'' is widespread and commonly described as both a lithophyte and

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

. They are evident across a range of Wet Sclerophyll Forest,

Rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

and more open Subalpine environments with preferred growing conditions being in ferneries or gullies with partial to full shade. The species are described as middle storey species, but are evident anywhere from forest floors to canopies. There are two subspecies. ''Zealandia pustulata'' subsp. ''pustulata'' is present across the species' range. ''Zealandia pustulata'' subsp. ''howensis'' is endemic to Lord Howe Island.

Naming and classification

The species was first named ''Polypodium pustulatum'' by botanist Georg Forster in 1786.

Edwin Copeland Edwin Bingham Copeland (September 30, 1873 – March 16, 1964) was an American botanist and agriculturist. He is known for founding the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna and for being one of the America's l ...

published the name ''Microsorum pustulatum'' in ''Genera Filicum'' Copeland, E.B. (1947). The name was derived from the species' characteristic small, blistered (risen) sori on its abaxial surface (''micro'' = small, ''sorum'' = from sori, ''pustulatum''= blistered).Copeland, E.B. 1947: Genera Filicum. Chronica Botanica Co., Waltham, Mass. In 2019 the species was renamed ''Zealandia pustulata'' by Testo & A.R.Field, which is accepted by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

. The species and its subspecies are known by numerous other synonyms.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q84845836, from2=Q6840300, from3=Q7226779 Polypodiaceae Ferns of New Zealand Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of Victoria (state) Flora of Tasmania Ferns of Australia Flora of Lord Howe Island Flora of Norfolk Island Flora of the Chatham Islands Flora of the Kermadec Islands

Description

Distribution and habitat

Naming and classification

See also

References