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NZ Plants


Pneumatopteris pennigera - pakauroharoha, gully fern,

Family: Thelypteridaceae

Pneumatopteris pennigera has an erect slender stem bearing divided dark green fronds covered with hairs and with the lower primary leaflets much shorter than middle ones. The primary leaflets are divided about half way to the midrib to form round-ended rounded segments.

Found on the Tree Kings Islands, the North and South Islands and Chatham Islands in damp forest.

Vegetative characteristics

Fertile frond and sporangia

Plant form: erect stem bearing fronds up to 1.5 m

Frond appearance: similar to sterile frond

Frond stalk, midrib: stipe brown with scales at base

Sporangium location: lower frond surface

Frond shape: narrowly elliptic

Sporangium position: in one row either side of midrib

Frond blade: once divided (pinnate)

Sporangia distribution: in groups (sori)

Frond surface: thin with hairs and scales

Sorus shape: circular

Leaflets: divided half way to midrib into large rounded segments

Sorus covering: 0