Crepidomanes aphlebioides

Hymenophyllaceae

Crepidomanes aphleboides (Christ) I.M.Turner

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/7403965

Rhizome 2–3 mm diam., long-creeping; hairs dense, reddish brown. Fronds dimorphic with small aborted fronds <12 cm long and large fully developed fronds 30-85 cm long. Aborted fronds reduced to very narrowly winged, hair-like axes. Large fully developed frond stipes widely spaced, 10–30 cm long, very narrowly winged almost to the base; hairy near the base, otherwise glabrous; lamina, broadly triangular to ovate, deeply 4-pinnatifid or more divided, to c. 60 cm long, 30 cm wide, dark green; axes very narrowly winged. Ultimate segments linear, c. 0.3 mm wide, with scattered, thick, glandular hairs, mainly on the lower surface; margins entire; apices obtuse, indented. Sori on short segments towards the base of tertiary laminal segments; involucre narrowly cylindrical, c. 1.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, very narrowly winged; mouth flared, entire; receptacle exserted. 

Recorded from the Daintree region of NE QLD and Captain Billy Landing on Cape York Peninsula. Also scattered across Asia, Malesia and the Pacific.

Terrestrial, among rocks or lithophytic on steep creek banks, usually in deep humid gullies in the shaded strata of mesic lowland vine forest.

This is the largest filmy fern in Australia.

Very difficult to grow outside of its natural range and habitat.

The presence of aphlebiae (aborted fronds reduced to very narrowly winged, hair-like axes) at the base of normal fronds distinguish this filmy fern from all other Australian species.