Flora of New Zealand Series

Rhizomes short-creeping, scaly. Stipes 2-18 cm long, dark brown and scaly at base, straw-coloured and ± glabrous above. Laminae narrowly ovate or narrowly oblong, (2)-5-25 × 1.5-6-(7.5) cm, 1-2-pinnate at base, glabrous. Primary pinnae in 5-15 pairs, ovate to ± oblong, obtuse at apices, the longest 0.5-3-(4) × 0.4-1.5 cm; pinnae of smaller fronds divided into ± rounded, entire, or bluntly-toothed lobes; pinnae of larger fronds divided into secondary pinnae. Secondary pinnae elliptic, entire or bluntly toothed, obtuse, to 10 × 6 mm. Sori round, protected by ovate indusia arching over sporangia.

N.: Kaimai Ranges, Mt Pureora, East Cape mountains and c. Volcanic Plateau S. to Tararuas; S.: mountains throughout.

Also indigenous to Tasmania and Victoria.

Rock outcrops, bluffs, talus, moraine, (250)-1000-1500 m, more frequent and luxuriant on lime-rich substrates.

This sp. has, until recently, been referred to C. fragilis sens. lat. However, the N.Z. plant is clearly distinguishable from C. fragilis (Fig. 3) and warrants separate recognition. In his monograph of the genus, Blasdell, R. F., Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 21 : 1-102 (1963), regarded S. American, N.Z. and Australian specimens as C. fragilis var. apiiformis - a name based on a type from the Falkland Is. However, whatever the identity of the S. American material, the name C. tasmanica, based on an Australian type, has priority when applied to Australasian material, and is adopted here.