Lindsaea fraseri

Lindsaeaceae

Lindsaea fraseri Hook.

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/113076

Rhizome long-creeping, 1–2 mm diam.; scales to 2 mm long, golden brown. Fronds monomorphic. Stipes spaced along rhizome, to one-third the length of the lamina, stramineous, darker at base. Lamina 1-pinnate or with 1–2 basal pinna pairs pinnatifid or again pinnate, narrowly ovate to linear, c. 17–35 cm long, (1.5–) 2–3 (–3.5) cm wide. Larger pinnules distant on rachis, ovate to deltoid, shortly stalked, c. 12–20 mm long and 5–15 mm wide, herbaceous to chartaceous, scarcely ascending, with broadly cuneate to cordate bases; margins entire or with shallow incisions (fertile pinnules) or dentate (sterile pinnules); midrib ±distinct in larger pinnules; lateral veins anastomosing. Smaller pinnules diamond-shaped to rounded-flabellate to ±reniform. Sori continuous or broken at marginal incisions; indusium extending almost to margin, 0.5–0.6 mm wide, pale greenish, ±entire; spores imperfectly developed.

Endemic to E Australia from Arnhem Land NT to Torres Strait N QLD to N NSW.

Terrestrial in swamps and coastal heathland, open woodland and wet sclerophyll forest.

The combination of short creeping rhizome, anastomosing veins and widely spaced deltoid pinunules identify this species from other Australian Lindsaea.