Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes - Online edition

Pellaea falcata


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Close up of frond showing sori. © G. Sankowsky
Close up of frond showing sori. © G. Sankowsky
Frond. © G. Sankowsky
Habit. © G. Sankowsky
Family

Pteridaceae

Botanical name

Pellaea falcata (R.Br.) Fee

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/115236

Common name

Sickle Fern

Description

Rhizome long-creeping; scales narrowly ovate, c. 1.5–2 mm long, basally attached, with a midrib of black occluded cells; margins entire, of paler brown open cells; apex attenuate and acute. Fronds 37–105 cm long. Stipe 10–25 cm long (20–30% length of frond), c. 5–10 mm apart, dark brown, ±cylindrical; stipe and rachis clothed with scales and uniseriate hairs; scales narrowly triangular, 3–4 mm long, spreading, persistent, mid- to dark brown. Lamina 1-pinnate, narrowly ovate, 18–67 cm long, with 27–65 (–95) sessile or shortly-stalked pinnae (stalk less than 2 mm long). Pinnae oblong to linear-oblong, 22–56 mm long, 5–12 mm wide, dark green above, pale green beneath, coriaceous, ±glabrous; base truncate to cordate; margins entire, sometimes minutely crenate or toothed towards apex; apex obtuse or acute; veins free, forked, obscure. Sporangia in a continuous, marginal band c. 1 mm wide, absent from base and sometimes from apex; indusium marginal, membranous, obscured by sporangia at maturity. Spores trilete, ±globose, coarsely echinate

Distribution

Temperate and subtropical Australia, Polynesia and New Zealand. Reports of this taxon in tropical Queensland probably refer to large forms of Pellaea nana.

Habit and habitat

Terrestrial or lithophytic in temperate or subtropical rainforest or tall wet sclerophyll forest.

Cultivation

Easily cultivated in a small container or among rocks in the garden.

Similar species

Pellaea nana, Pellaea paradoxa and Pellaea calidirupium

1a. rachis scales and hairs mid- to dark-brown, spreading = 2

1b. rachis scales and whitish to pale-brown appressed = 3

2a. rachis scales mostly 3–4 mm long, pinnae 22–56 mm long = Pellaea falcata

2b. rachis scales mostly 1–2.5 mm long, pinnae 5–25 mm long = Pellaea nana

3a. pinnae 20–60 mm long; all lateral pinnae the same length = Pellaea paradoxa

3b. pinnae 14–30 mm long; lateral pinnae reducing in length and width towards the frond apex = Pellaea calidirupium

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).

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