Common name: Hooker's spleenwort, Maidenhair Spleenwort
Asplenium hookerianum Colenso APNI*
Description: Rhizome short-creeping to erect, densely covered with dark, brown to black linear scales c. 6 mm long.
Fronds almost erect, to 22 cm long, pinnate to mostly 2-pinnate, upper pinnae often ± pinnatifid, with a distinct terminal segment, second order segments often free and on distinct stalks; stipe and rachis slender, not conspicuously grooved on the upper side, never giving rise to proliferous buds; pinnae 1–2.5 cm long, pale green, membranous and translucent; veins free.
Sori superficial, few per pinna, 1.5–3 mm long, distant from margin; indusium membranous.
Distribution and occurrence: A terrestrial fern growing amongst rocks in subalpine regions; very rare. Not recorded for NSW but likely to occur in ST. also in New Zealand.
NSW subdivisions: ?ST
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas.
Threatened species: Commonwealth EPBC: Vulnerable
Text by Peter G. Wilson; modified P.D. Hind (2006) Taxon concept: P.J. Brownsey (1998)
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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