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NZ Plants

Psilotum nudum - whisk fern

Family: Psilotaceae

  • Plant with underground stem (rhizome) and erect aerial stem

    I MacDonald

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  • Underground stem (rhizome) with hair-like rhizoids for absorption

    L Jensen

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  • Rhizoids

    L Jensen

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  • Aerial stems with forked (dichotomous) branching

    L Jensen

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  • Aerial stem with two scale leaves

    L Jensen

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  • Stem, scale leaf

    L Jensen

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  • Aerial stem bearing sporangia

    L Jensen

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  • Stem tip with developing sporangia, each subtended by a forked appendage

    L Jensen

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  • Each forked appendage bears three fused sporangia

    L Jensen

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  • Sporangia enlarge and yellow as they mature

    L Jensen

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  • Mature sporangia releasing pollen

    L Jensen

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Psilotum nudum lacks roots and true leaves. It is an epiphyte or terrestrial plant anchored by a creeping underground stem (rhizome). The green aerial stems are strongly angled, fork repeatedly in different planes. Stems bear small needle-like outgrowths (lacking vascular tissue), which are spirally arranged on the upper part of the aerial stem. Sporangia are fused into groups of three (a synangium).
Found throughout New Zealand in exposed and dry areas where there is little competition from other plants. It grows on the ground (with erect stems) or as an epiphyte (with pendulous stems).

Vegetative characteristics

Fertile frond and sporangia

Plant form: aerial stems up to 40 c m bearing tiny scale leaves

Frond appearance: 0

Arrangementy of stem outgrowths: spiral

Sporangium location: at tip of lateral branch

Shape of stem outgrowths: needle-like

Sporangium position:

Size of stem outgrowths: up to 1 mm

Sporangia distribution: fused in groups of three (synangium)

 

Sorus shape: 0

 

Sporangium covering: 0

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