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NZ Plants


Davallia tasmanii - Three Kings Davallia

Family: Davalliaceae

Davallia tasmanii is a terrestrial fern with a creeping stem (rhizome) with deltoid yellow-green and leathery fronds. Each group of sporangia (a sorus) is inside a distinctive pouch-like covering (indusium) making this an easy fern to identify.
An endemic fern found on the Three Kings Islands.
 

Vegetative characteristics

Fertile frond and sporangia

Plant form: creeping with fronds up to 200 mm long

Frond appearance: similar to sterile frond

Frond stalk, midrib: smooth

Sporangium location: on lower frond surface

Frond shape: broadly ovate to 5-angled

Sporangium position: within a pouch near leaflet margin

Frond blade: 3-4-pinnate (subdivided 3-4 x into leaflets or pinnae)

Sporangia distribution: in groups (sori)

Frond surface: leathery

Sorus shape: oblong

Leaflets: oblong, incised or toothed

Sorus covering: oblong covering (indusium) attached at base and sides to form a pouch