''Hiya distans'', formerly ''Hypolepis distans'', known as the scrambling ground fern is a small fern found in soils with a high
humus
In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...
layer, or swampy areas in
New Zealand. Less often seen in
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 ...
. Rarely recorded in north west
Tasmania and
King Island King Island, Kings Island or King's Island may refer to:
Australia
* King Island (Queensland)
* King Island, at Wellington Point, Queensland
* King Island (Tasmania)
** King Island Council, the local government area that contains the Tasmanian is ...
. There is one known population on the Australian mainland, at
Macquarie Pass in
New South Wales. An introduced population is at the remote
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 ...
in the south
Pacific Ocean. The scrambling ground fern features 20 to 40 pairs of primary
pinnae, opposite or subopposite on the stem, at an angle of 90 degrees. The specific epithet ''distans'' is derived from
Latin, meaning "widely spaced".
References
Dennstaedtiaceae
Ferns of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of New Zealand
Flora of the Chatham Islands
Flora of Norfolk Island
Flora of Tasmania
Plants described in 1852
{{Polypodiales-stub