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NZ Plants

Botrychium biforme - fine-leaved parsley fern

Family: Ophioglossaceae

  • Fronds are split into a lower, finely-divided basal segment and an erect segment bearing small fertile leaflets.

    J Braggins

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  • Two subterranean button-shaped gametophytes, each with an attached, pale basal stalk (stipe) of a frond and a root covered with rhizoids.

    J Braggins

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  • Left to right, gametophytes with progressively older fronds.

    J Braggins

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Botrychium biforme is a small terrestrial fern with a frond divided into two segments: a  lower vegetative lamina (blade) with sharp-pointed leaflets  and an upper fertile segment.
An endemic species found from the middle of the North Island to the South Island.
 

Vegetative characteristics

Fertile frond and sporangia

Plant form: erect stem with fronds divided into sterile and fertile portions;  sterile portion a shorter, broad blade up to 25cm long

Frond appearance: fertile portion taller, a narrow spike, divided 3-5 times

Frond stalk, midrib: green stalk and midrib

Sporangium location: along branching axis

Frond shape: oval to 5-angled

Sporangium position: on short stalks

Frond blade: 5-8-pinnate (divided 5-8x into leaflets or pinnae)

Sporangia distribution: scattered

Frond surface: reddish-green to  green

Sorus shape:

Leaflets: narrow, pointed

Sorus covering: 0

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