''Athyrium flexile'', commonly known as Newman's lady-fern or the flexile lady fern,
is a taxon of which is
fern
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to Scotland, it has been regarded as a species but it is considered to be an
ecotype
In evolutionary ecology, an ecotype,Greek: ''οίκος'' = home and ''τύπος'' = type, coined by Göte Turesson in 1922 sometimes called ecospecies, describes a genetically distinct geographic variety, population, or race within a specie ...
of the
Alpine lady fern.
This fern is pale to yellow green in colour and has elliptic, double pinnate leaves which are deciduous.
This ecotype grows more quickly and matures faster than the Alpine lady fern in substrates which have low levels of nutrients and is outcompeted by the Alpine lady fern in other situations.
[
It is an upland variety typically found above on screes made up of siliceous rocks such as ]quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...
and granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
in the Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
where it is found at only four sites.[ It is a snow-tolerant species, the snow lie protecting it from frosts. This small, deciduous fern is normally recorded from cool, shaded, north easterly to north westerly facing scree-slopes or where there is scree of large blocks of acidic rocks, particularly in areas where the snow lies late into the Spring and there is melt-water trickling down gullies.][ but may be a stunted variety of Alpine Lady-fern '' A. distentifolium'', a single gene mutation accounting for the difference between the two. It is considered by some experts to be a variant of Alpine Lady-fern (''Athyrium distentifolium var. ''flexile'') rather than a distinct species.]["The Scottish Biodiversity List - Species & Habitat Detail"]
Biodiversity Scotland. Retrieved 29 June 2008.["Species Action Plan: Newman's Lady Fern (''Athyrium flexile'')"]
BAP. Retrieved 29 June 2008.[Shaw, Philip and Thompson, Des (eds.) (2006) ''The Nature of the Cairngorms: Diversity in a changing environment''. Edinburgh. The Stationery Office. . pp. 221 and 233-34.]
Regarded as nationally scarce and vulnerable, more than 75% of the population is found in the high Cairngorm mountains including the boulder field plateau of Braeriach and in upper Glen Doll
Glen Doll, also sometimes spelt Glendoll, lies within the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, at the top of Glen Clova, in an area of steep hills, corries and Munros. It includes the Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve, which has many endangered ...
. It is found as high as in Glen Einich.["Altitudinal limits of British and Irish vascular plants"]
(rtf) Botanical Society of the British Isles. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q616207
flexile
Endemic flora of Scotland
Highlands and Islands of Scotland