Pteris nipponica W.C.Shieh APNI* Description: Small to medium sized fern with short-creeping rhizome forming open clumps
Fronds closely spaced, subdimorphic. Sterile fronds 10–30 cm long pinnate or subpedate, basal pinna usually with a basiscopic pinnule; lateral pinnae in 1–3 pairs, linear-oblong 10–20 cm long by 1.5–3.5 cm wide, stalked, glabrous, margin irregularly dentate, apex acute, terminal pinna distinct; lamina green, papery, with a broad adaxial central white stripe.
Fertile fronds 14–50 cm long, pinnae narrower than sterile fronds, weakly falcate.
Distribution and occurrence: On rocks beside streams, beneath forest canopy.
NSW subdivisions: *CC
Pteris nipponica was previously treated as a cultivar of Pteris cretica, and is known in cultivation under the name Pteris cretica cv. Albo-lineata. Pteris nipponica differs from P. cretica in that all pinnae are stalked, including the terminal pinna. By contrast, in Pteris cretica and Pteris ensiformis the uppermost pinnules are decurrent along the rachis, and the terminal pinna is usually fused with at least one of the adjacent lateral pinnules. Pteris cretica is a complex of diploid (2n=58) and triploid chromosome (3n=87) races. Pteris nipponica is a triploid, with 3n=87.
Text by Matt A.M. Renner
Taxon concept: Flora of China Volume 2-3.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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