''Polystichum australiense'', commonly known as the harsh shield fern is a plant found in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. The genus name ''Polystichum'' is derived from Greek ''poly'' - many, and ''stichos -'' rows referring to the many rows of sori. The specific epithet refers to Australia. An unusual feature is the growth of

bulbil A bulbil (also referred to as bulbel, bulblet, and/or pup) is a small, young plant that is reproduced vegetatively from axillary buds on the parent plant's stem or in place of a flower on an inflorescence. These young plants are clones of the pa ...

s on end of the fronds. Sori are circular with a brown

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 ...

, the stem is moderately scaly. Fronds are tough, having ultimate segments with distinctly aristate margins. Seen in warmer sites, unlike the related

Polystichum proliferum ''Polystichum proliferum'', commonly known as mother shield fern is an Australian endemic fern. The genus name Polystichum is derived from Greek ''poly'' - many, and ''stichos -'' rows referring to the many rows of sori. The species name is deriv ...

which usually prefers mountain habitats. The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular wiktionary:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to a ...

was collected at Garie Beach, and first appeared in a botanic publication in 1954, authored by Mary Tindale.

References

australiense Ferns of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1954 {{Dryopteridaceae-stub