Stenochlaena palustris

Blechnaceae

Stenochlaena palustris (Burm.f.) Bedd.

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/67625

Rhizome climbing or scrambling. Fronds dimorphic, 24–70 (–165) cm long, 9–30 cm wide. Stipe 8–30 (–82) cm long, stramineous to brown, glabrous or with peltate ±entire reddish-brown scales. Lamina ovate, pinnate, with 4–14 pairs of pinnae. Rachis and costae stramineous to brown, glabrous. Sterile pinnae narrowly ovate, long-acuminate, 5–20 cm long, 1–5 cm wide, shortly stalked, sharply serrate; basal pinnae not reduced. Fertile pinnae 2–3 mm wide. Spores 41 × 27 µm, verrucose and minutely vermiculate to scaberulous.

Tropical NT and NE QLD from Torres Strait to Halifax Bay. Also Asia and Malesia.

Terrestrial, often climbing on trees in paperbark swamp forest or palm swamp forest and on creek banks in rainforest.

This species may be invasive in garden and cropping situations.

Easily grown in a moist or saturated part of the tropical garden. This species will grow up trees, particularly paperbarks (Melaleuca spp.), and can become invasive.