Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes - Online edition

Actinostachys wagneri

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Close up of plants showing sporogenous lobes. © Australian Tropical Herbarium

Habit. © Australian Tropical Herbarium

Family

Schizeaceae

Botanical name

Actinostachys wagneri (Selling) C.F.Reed

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/74950

Description

Rhizome short-creeping or suberect, clothed with long stiff brown hairs. Fronds clustered, few, weak, linear-terete, subterete when dry, 6–20 cm long, c. 0.5 mm diam., not constricted markedly below sporogenous lobes; surface rough due to scattered appressed short thick hairs. Sporogenous lobes (2–) 3 (–5), linear, tufted at apex, 7–15 mm long, c. 0.5 mm wide. Sporangia in 2 rows, mixed with long, pale brown hairs.

Distribution

Between Maloney Springs and McIlwraith Range on Cape York QLD. Also in Malesia and Pacific Islands.

Habit and habitat

Epiphytic in moss clumps and rotting logs in lowland to mid-montane mesic vine forest.

Natural history

This uncommon species is a specialist on epiphytic humus clumps.

Citation of Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/intro/index.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

Field AR, Quinn CJ, Zich FA (2022) ‘Platycerium superbum’, in Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes. apps.lucidcentral.org/fern/text/entities/platycerium_superbum.htm (accessed online INSERT DATE).

Web edition hosted at https://apps.lucidcentral.org/ferns