''Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia'' is a species of

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 ...

n rock fern from the family Pteridaceae. Once a common understory plant along streams in moist areas of Southern Australia, ''Cheilianthes austrotenuifolia'' is still quite widespread in remnant bush-land, such as areas of the Adelaide Hills, although it has been affected significantly by land clearance and competition from invasive species. Bright green fronds grow from an underground

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 ...

. The plant spreads through division of this rhizome, and also by spores held under the fronds. Fronds die down in summer and return with the rain in Autumn. The plant is very difficult to

propagate Propagation can refer to: *Chain propagation in a chemical reaction mechanism *Crack propagation, the growth of a crack during the fracture of materials *Propaganda, non-objective information used to further an agenda *Reproduction, and other forms ...

using spores, but it may be more easily done using sections of the rhizome.

References

austrotenuifolia Flora of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of South Australia Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (Australia) Flora of Western Australia Plants described in 1983 {{Pteridaceae-stub