''Callistopteris bauerianum'', known as the large filmy fern and Bauer's bristle fern, is a fern in the family

Hymenophyllaceae The Hymenophyllaceae, the filmy ferns and bristle ferns, are a family of two to nine genera (depending on classification system) and about 650 known species of ferns, with a subcosmopolitan distribution, but generally restricted to very damp pl ...

. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

honours the Austrian botanical artist, Frederick Lucas Bauer (1760–1826), who collected plants on Norfolk Island in 1804–1805.

Description

The plant is a terrestrial or

lithophytic Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. They can be classified as either epilithic (or epipetric) or endolithic; epilithic lithophytes grow on the surfaces of rocks, while endolithic lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks (and are als ...

fern. It has a short, erect

rhizome 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 ...

, supported by coarse roots, with dark brown, filiform scales. Its tripinnate fronds combine a 5–25 cm tall stipe with a lanceolate lamina 10–30 cm long.

Distribution and habitat

The fern is endemic to

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 ...

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

Lord Howe and

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 ...

s in the Tasman Sea; it grows in deep shade beside forest streams.

References

Hymenophyllales Flora of Lord Howe Island Flora of Norfolk Island Plants described in 1833 Flora of Australia {{Polypodiidae-stub