Blechnum discolor

Blechnum discolor is a species of fern

Fern

A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...

 in the family Blechnaceae

Blechnaceae

Blechnaceae is a family of nine genera and between 240-260 species of ferns, with a cosmopolitan distribution.Most are ground dwelling, some are climbers, such as Stenochlaena. A characteristic feature of many species is that the young opening fronds are usually tinged with red.Genera*Blechnum L....

. This species is endemic to New Zealand. As noted by C. Michael Hogan, this species is found in a number of forest communities in diverse locations within New Zealand, and is sometimes a dominant understory component.

Spores are produced on specialised fronds. These are more erect, with a dark and shrivelled look.