''Zealandia pustulata'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

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 except t ...

native to eastern

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 ...

and

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 ...

. It is commonly referred to as kangaroo fern because of its mature leaves tend to resemble the shape of a kangaroo foot. It is also referred to as hound's tongue, and as kōwaowao and pāraharaha in

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

Description

This

epiphytic An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

fern species seems to climb onto suitable substrates (fallen logs, rocks, growing plants etc.) via long, creeping grey-green rhizomes. The

rhizomes 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 ...

have

clathrate A clathrate is a chemical substance consisting of a lattice that traps or contains molecules. The word ''clathrate'' is derived from the Latin (), meaning ‘with bars, latticed’. Most clathrate compounds are polymeric and completely envelop t ...

ovate Ovate may refer to: *Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...

scales which are 3-7 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. Generally, the species exhibits 1-9 pairs of lobed, glossy-green fronds which are erect to pendant and can range from 5-50 cm in length. The texture of the fronds is leathery, and they have thick, wavy margins. They have distinct, relatively large (approximately 3-4 mm wide) circular sori on their abaxial surface. The spores themselves are 45–62.5 µm long, 20–32.5 µm wide, pale, with wart-like protuberances.The species can grow to a maximum height of approximately 30 cm and a maximum width of approximately 120 cm.

Distribution and habitat

''Zealandia pustulata'' ranges from southeastern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

through

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 ...

to Victoria on the Australian mainland, and to

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

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 ...

, New Zealand's

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

islands, and the

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

Kermadec Kermadec or de Kermadec may refer to: Geography * Kermadec Islands, a subtropical island arc in the South Pacific Ocean northeast of New Zealand * Kermadec Plate, a long narrow tectonic plate located west of the Kermadec Trench * Kermadec Trench, ...

, and

Antipodes In geography, the antipode () of any spot on Earth is the point on Earth's surface diametrically opposite to it. A pair of points ''antipodal'' () to each other are situated such that a straight line connecting the two would pass through Ear ...

islands. ''Zealandia pustulata'' is widespread and commonly described as both a

lithophyte 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 also ...

and

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

. They are evident across a range of Wet Sclerophyll Forest,

Rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

and more open Subalpine environments with preferred growing conditions being in ferneries or gullies with partial to full shade. The species are described as middle storey species, but are evident anywhere from forest floors to canopies. There are two subspecies. ''Zealandia pustulata'' subsp. ''pustulata'' is present across the species' range. ''Zealandia pustulata'' subsp. ''howensis'' is endemic to Lord Howe Island.

Naming and classification

The species was first named ''Polypodium pustulatum'' by botanist Georg Forster in 1786.

Edwin Copeland Edwin Bingham Copeland (September 30, 1873 – March 16, 1964) was an American botanist and agriculturist. He is known for founding the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture at Los Baños, Laguna and for being one of the America's ...

published the name ''Microsorum pustulatum'' in ''Genera Filicum'' Copeland, E.B. (1947). The name was derived from the species' characteristic small, blistered (risen) sori on its abaxial surface (''micro'' = small, ''sorum'' = from sori, ''pustulatum''= blistered).Copeland, E.B. 1947: Genera Filicum. Chronica Botanica Co., Waltham, Mass. In 2019 the species was renamed ''Zealandia pustulata'' by Testo & A.R.Field, which is accepted by

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

. The species and its subspecies are known by numerous other synonyms.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q84845836, from2=Q6840300, from3=Q7226779 Polypodiaceae Ferns of New Zealand Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of Victoria (state) Flora of Tasmania Ferns of Australia Flora of Lord Howe Island Flora of Norfolk Island Flora of the Chatham Islands Flora of the Kermadec Islands

Description

Distribution and habitat

Naming and classification

See also

References