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FERNS OF HEPBURN SHIRE AND THE WOMBAT FOREST
(listed in order of botanical name)
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Adiantum aethiopicum |
Common Maidenhair
A delicate looking fern to 30cm. Occurs even on drier sites in the west and north of Hepburn Shire, where it is often found on escarpments (particularly south facing), occasionally covering large areas, spreading via rhizomes. Sparse occurrences in the Wombat Forest.
Asplenium flabellifolium | Necklace Fern
A low creeping ground cover. Occurs in moist sheltered situations. Green rachis (midrib) and pinna (leaflets) with rounded lobes. Sparsely scattered throughout Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest. Could be confused with Lindsaea linearis which has a red-brown rachis and is more widespread, particularly on drier sites.
Asplenium gracillimum | Mother Spleenwort
An epiphytic fern growing on trees, logs and tree fern trunks. Occurs in sheltered damp gully lines in the Wombat Forest. Uncommon or absent in other parts of Hepburn Shire.
Asplenium subglandulosum | Blanket Fern
A small fern. Fronds with conspicuously long, fine hairs. Uncommon within Hepburn Shire, with records in Clunes and Creswick.
Azolla rubra |
Pacific Azolla
An aquatic fern, floating on top of lakes and dams. Can reproduce incredibly quickly by multiplication of fragmented fronds, carpeting water surface under ideal conditions. Fine roots hang down below water surface. Uncommon within Hepburn Shire, constrained by cool climate.
Blechnum minus |
Soft Water-fern
A fern of waterways, often colonising the bed of shallow streams. Forms clumps similar to B. nudum, but fronds are larger and often have reddish rachis (midrib). Relatively common on waterways in the Wombat Forest, uncommon elsewhere within Hepburn Shire.
Blechnum nudum |
Fishbone Water-fern
A clump-forming fern occurring in moist gully lines. Fronds bright green typically with pale yellowish rachis (midrib). Fertile (spore-bearing) fronds wiry and upright as in other Blechnum species. Relatively common in the Wombat Forest. Sparse occurrences in gullies in other parts of Hepburn Shire.
Blechnum watsii |
Hard Water-fern
A fern, creeping via rhizomes, sometimes carpeting sheltered humus-rich gully lines. Does not typically form distinct clumps like B. nudum and B. minus. Fronds stout with broad pinnae. Young fronds often copper-coloured. Scattered within gully lines of the Wombat Forest. Absent elsewhere within Hepburn Shire.
Calochlaena dubia |
Common Ground-fern
A fern spreading via rhizomes, sometimes colonising large areas. Sometimes referred to as False Bracken. Light green fronds with colourless hairs. Round spore cases on margins of pinnae, which can help distinguish from Pteridium esculentum and Hypolepis species. An uncommon species locally, sparse scattered patches in the Wombat Forest.
Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia |
Green Rock-fern
A small fern, often found on rocky sites and tolerant of dry conditions. Sparsely scattered throughout Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest.
Cyathea australis |
Rough Tree-fern
A tree fern growing up to 20m tall under ideal conditions. Old frond bases covered with pointed projections, distinguishing readily from Dicksonia antarctica. Growth rate is considerably faster than D. antarctica. Occurs in gully lines of the Wombat Forest. Few records elsewhere within Hepburn Shire
Dicksonia antarctica |
Soft Tree-fern
A tree fern to 15m. Trunk growth rate considerably slower than Cyathea australis, although canopy of fronds typically wider. Frond bases relatively smooth and softly hairy. Occurs in gully-lines of the Wombat Forest. Few records elsewhere within Hepburn Shire.
Gleichenia microphylla |
Scrambling Coral-fern
A scrambling fern with bright green forked fronds. Occurring in various habitats including creeklines and relatively dry, infertile hillsides. Spreads via rhizomes to colonise large areas under ideal conditions. Occurs within the Wombat Forest and the Creswick Regional Park. G. dicarpa is also present, albeit uncommon, within the Wombat Forest
Histiopteris incisa |
Bat's Wing Fern
An upright blue-green fern occurring on moist sites. Spore cases linear, on margins of pinnules. Occurs scattered throughout the Wombat Forest with sparse occurrences elsewhere within Hepburn Shire.
Hypolepis rugosula |
Ruddy Ground-fern
A fern with brown-red stems (stipes) spreading via rhizomes to form large patches in moist settings. Relatively common in gullies and drainage lines of the Wombat Forest. Uncommon elsewhere in Hepburn Shire. H. glandulifera has also been recorded around the Trentham area. It can be identified by the 4 times divided (4 pinnate) fronds.
Lindsaea linearis | Screw Fern
A small fern occurring on a variety of sites including heathy and rocky ground. Leaves with a red-brown midrib (rachis). Relatively common in Wombat Forest and Creswick Regional Park. Uncommon elsewhere within Hepburn Shire.
Marsilea drummondii |
Nardoo
An aquatic fern colonising shallow areas within waterbodies. Although spread widely by waterbirds and occurring in in abundance in northern Victoria and west of Melbourne, this species does not seem to naturally occur in higher elevation areas such as Hepburn Shire. Often planted in wetlands.
Microsorum pustulatum |
Kangaroo Fern
An epiphytic fern growing on tree trunks, tree ferns and logs. Locally only found in the most moist and sheltered gullies of the Wombat Forest.
Polystichum proliferum | Mother Shield-fern
A deep green clump-forming fern. Locally mainly found within the Wombat Forest, but also recorded in Creswick Regional Park and Hepburn Regional Park. Forms bulbils on tips of older fronds which can produce new plants if making contact with soil. Occurs on moist, humus-rich soils, often higher in gullies than Blechnum species.
Pteridium esculentum |
Austral Bracken
An abundant fern which spreads via rhizomes and can readily colonise disturbed sites. Fronds becoming deep green and somewhat stiff with age. The most common and widespread fern within Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest.
Sticherus urceolatus |
Spreading Fan-fern
A rhizomatous fern producing fronds which may branch or fork multiple times. Regionally only occurs within the Wombat Forest where it is typically confined to creeks and gullies.
Todea barbara |
Austral King-fern
A large long-lived fern forming a broad, short trunk with age. Bipinnate (twice divided) fronds up to 2.5m long. Locally confined to the Wombat Forest, requires reliable moisture and is mostly found adjacent or within creeklines. Also occurs on Mt. Macedon.
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