Tmesipteris truncata
Encyclopedia
Tmesipteris truncata is a fern ally
endemic to eastern Australia
. The habitat of this primitive plant is under waterfalls, or in sandstone
gullies or rainforest
s. Commonly referred to as a Fork Fern. It is often found growing on the base of the King Fern
. Usually seen as an epiphyte
or lithophyte
, but it may also appear as a terrestrial plant. Found as far south as Mount Dromedary.
The stems are 15 to 30 cm long, mostly unbranched. Three or four grooves are at the base. The leaves grow shorter at the base, also shorter at the apex of the stems. Leaves are narrow linear to oblong in shape; 15 to 25 mm long, 2 to 5 mm wide. The midvein of the leaf ends in a thin point. Synangia are 3 to 5 mm long.
The specific epithet truncata refers to the leaf tops, which appear abruptly cut off. This plant first appeared in scientific literature in 1810 as Psilotum truncatum in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown
.
Fern ally
Fern allies are a diverse group of seedless vascular plants that are not true ferns. Like ferns, a fern ally disperses by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations.-Classification:...
endemic to eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The habitat of this primitive plant is under waterfalls, or in sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
gullies or rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s. Commonly referred to as a Fork Fern. It is often found growing on the base of the King Fern
Todea barbara
Todea barbara is known as the king fern. Occurring in moist areas of south eastern Australia, and also indigenous to New Zealand and South Africa.It grows up to tall, but has a short stumpy base...
. Usually seen as an epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
or lithophyte
Lithophyte
Lithophytes are a type of plant that grows in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off moss, nutrients in rain water, litter, and even their own dead tissue....
, but it may also appear as a terrestrial plant. Found as far south as Mount Dromedary.
The stems are 15 to 30 cm long, mostly unbranched. Three or four grooves are at the base. The leaves grow shorter at the base, also shorter at the apex of the stems. Leaves are narrow linear to oblong in shape; 15 to 25 mm long, 2 to 5 mm wide. The midvein of the leaf ends in a thin point. Synangia are 3 to 5 mm long.
The specific epithet truncata refers to the leaf tops, which appear abruptly cut off. This plant first appeared in scientific literature in 1810 as Psilotum truncatum in the Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae, authored by the prolific Scottish botanist, Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
.