Flora of New Zealand Series

Pteris esculenta Forst. f. Fl. Esc. 1786, 74.

P. aquilina var. esculenta (Forst. f.) Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 2, 1855, 25.

Pteridium esculentum (Forst. f.) Diels in Pflanzenfam. 1 (4), 1899, 296. 

Placed by Tryon (Rhodora 43, 1941, 6) as var. under subsp. caudatum (L.) Bonap. Notes Pterid. 1, 1915, 62.

Type locality: Tahiti. Type: ?. Apparently now extinct in Tahiti. Also in Australia and Society Islands.

Rhizome stout, 5-15 mm. diam., much branched, subterranean; stipites distributed. Stipes 10-30-(50) cm. long, rigid, dark brown, shining, hairy when young. Rhachis stout, brown, hairy when young, with distant opp. to subopp. pinnae. Lamina 20-60-(100) cm. or more long; broadly deltoid to broadly ovate-oblong, coriac., dark green, ± hairy below and on costae and costules, 2-3-(4)-pinnate; veins free, mostly forked. Primary pinnae 5-20 × 2-10 cm., broad-ovate to deltoid, shortly stalked, subopp. to opp., often with single subbasal seg. Secondary pinnae alt., ovate-lanceolate: (a) lower up to 15 × 5 cm., very shortly stalked, pinnatisect to pinnate; segs linear, decurrent, up to 4 cm. long; main veins prominent, veinlets distinct. Upper with few segs to entire: (b) again distinctly pinnate; pinnules with a few basal lobes to entire, up to 2-4 cm. × 2-5 mm. Sori us. cop., continuous along margins of segs. Indusium inconspicuous.

DIST.: K., N., S., St., Ch., A., C. Lowland to subalpine open areas and forest margins throughout. Often very aggressive after destruction or modification of the primitive cover. Forest margin plants often lianoid, attaining 4 m. in height; subalpine plants of dry rocky places dwarfed.