''Histiopteris incisa'', the bat's wing fern, water fern or fern mata, is a common plant found in Australia,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and other islands in the south Pacific region. Usually found in moist areas, where it may form large colonies. The lowermost lobes of each

pinnae The auricle or auricula is the visible part of the ear that is outside the head. It is also called the pinna (Latin for "wing" or " fin", plural pinnae), a term that is used more in zoology. Structure The diagram shows the shape and location ...

have a bat wing like appearance, giving the fern its common name.

Description

''Histiopteris incisa'' is a medium-sized

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 ...

, usually producing

fronds A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the lar ...

of approximately 60–200 cm in length. Fronds are widely spaced, distinct, and slightly dimorphic with fertile lobes slightly narrower than the infertile lobes. Fertile lobes have the sori continuous, linear and exindusiate (without an

indusium A sorus (pl. sori) is a cluster of sporangia (structures producing and containing spores) in ferns and fungi. A coenosorus (plural coenosori) is a compound sorus composed of multiple, fused sori. Etymology This New Latin word is from Ancient ...

) but protected by reflexed leaf margins. Young fronds have a thick and whitish blue-green succulent stipe. Mature fronds are thin, long with red-brown stipes. Pinnae are pale greyish-green, almost a glaucous colour, they are paired and opposite and set at a wide angle and very lobed. The two lowermost lobes of each pinnae result in a bat's wing like appearance giving the fern its common name. This species has a robust creeping rhizome of 5-10mm width and is covered in brown or reddish scales.

Habitat and Distribution

The bat's wing fern is widely distributed and abundant across most of the southern hemisphere including Tasmania. However, it is less common in exposed highland situations and mostly absent from low rainfall regions. This fern is a ‘weedy’ opportunistic species, freely colonising disturbed sites on the margins of, or within, wet forest, and often forming extensive colonies. It mainly inhabits high rainfall forests with poorly drained soils. Found mainly in shaded areas as shade is necessary for pinnae survival although it can grow in less shaded areas with sufficient water availability. Bat's wing fern is commonly found growing on the margins of wet forests, along more open scrubby creeks and gullies and at the base of cliffs. In rare situations with optimal growing conditions, the fronds can reach lengths of 7m

Uses

The bat's wing fern is found in many Tasmanian nurseries and is popular as both an indoor or outdoor plant, as it requires little sunlight and is very aesthetically pleasing. It is a popular pot plant, easily grown in a pot or open ground and is fast spreading in cool, moist environments.

References

* Kramer, K.U., Green, P.S. (eds.) The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants Volume 1, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg (1990)
''Histiopteris incisa - Bat's wing fern''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5773065 Dennstaedtiaceae Flora of New Zealand Flora of Norfolk Island Flora of Lord Howe Island Flora of New Caledonia Flora of the Pacific Flora of the Auckland Islands Flora of the Juan Fernández Islands