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Volume I (1961) - Flora of New Zealand Indigenous Tracheophyta - Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledons
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Blechnum L.

BLECHNUM L., 1753

Sori elongate, || costa, one on each side; indusium opening towards costa, firm, elongate. Sporangia rather large, crowded; annulus vertical, incomplete. Spores bilateral, reniform to subglobose, us. smooth. Rhizome dictyostelic, paleate, erect or ascending, sts forming a distinct caudex; or rhizome creeping, sts scandent. Fronds us. pinnate to pinnatifid, us. coriac. Over 200 spp., mainly of the southern hemisphere.

Key

1
Lamina bipinnate; fertile and sterile not markedly different
1. fraseri
Lamina pinnate to pinnatifid; fertile and sterile markedly different
2
2
Sterile laminae di- or tri-morphic; rhizomes far-creeping and finally high-climbing
2. filiforme
Sterile laminae monomorphic; rhizome not or only shortly creeping, never climbing
3
3
Rhizome distinctly creeping, fronds distributed
4
Rhizome forming an erect or oblique stock, fronds tufted
6
4
Pinnae not > 1 cm. long, obtuse
6. penna-marina
Pinnae over 3 cm. long, acute or acuminate
5
5
Pinnae long-decurrent at base; lower pinnae not reduced in size
3. patersonii
Pinnae not decurrent; lower pinnae much reduced
4. capense
6
Lamina lyrate, very dark green; terminal pinna oblong, obtuse, much larger than lateral
7. nigrum
Lamina not lyrate, brighter green; terminal pinna not as above
7
7
Pinnae acuminate to distinctly acute
8
Pinnae obtuse, or at most subacute
14
8
Pinnae not markedly decreasing in size towards base of lamina
9
Pinnae markedly decreasing in size towards base of lamina
10
9
Pinnae distinctly widening to sessile base
11. vulcanicum
Pinnae not or only slightly widening to base, which is attached by costa only
4. capense
10
Pinnae of fertile fronds connected by widened base; plant stoloniferous; sterile lamina whitish or reddish brown on under surface; up to 1 m. or more tall, erect
10. discolor
Pinnae of fertile fronds not connected by widened base; plant not stoloniferous; sterile lamina not markedly discolorous, if reaching 1 m. then spreading or drooping
11
11
Larger pinnae c. 15 cm. long, attached by costa
4. capense
Larger pinnae c. 8 cm. long, attached by widened base
12
12
Sterile pinnae dark green, fleshy to coriac.; fertile pinnae close-set, oblong, obtuse
8. durum
Sterile pinnae bright green, submembr.; fertile pinnae distant, narrow-linear, acute to apiculate
13
13
Pinnae of fertile laminae 5-8 cm. long; pinnae of sterile laminae up to 4-8 cm. long, falcate, acuminate; plant up to 1 m. tall
12. norfolkianum
Pinnae of fertile laminae 1-4 cm. long; pinnae of sterile laminae up to 2-5 cm. long, lanceolate, acute to obtuse
13. lanceolatum
14
Pinnae of fertile laminae connected by widened bases; sterile lamina markedly discolorous; plant forming very large clumps, stoloniferous
10. discolor
Pinnae of fertile laminae not connected by widened bases; sterile lamina not markedly discolorous; plant not forming very large clumps, not stoloniferous
15
15
Sterile lamina with up to 50 pairs of distant, opp. to subopp., oblong to suborbicular pinnae; fertile lamina with the pinnae erect or ascending
15. fluviatile
Sterile lamina not as above; fertile lamina with the pinnae spreading
16
16
Pinnae attached by costae
5. minus
Pinnae attached by expanded base
17
17
Pinnae dark green, rather coriac.; margins entire
18
Pinnae bright green, membr. to submembr.; margins, or at least apex, toothed
19
18
Fronds 20-75 cm. long or more; sterile pinnae 2-6 cm. × 10-15 mm., narrow-oblong to lanceolate
8. durum
Fronds 10-40 cm. long; sterile pinnae 8-12 × 6-7 mm., oblong
9. banksii
19
Sterile pinnae rather coarsely dentate-serrate, up to 12-20 mm. long, of oblong order, obtuse; lower pinnae in rather distant pairs
14. membranaceum
Sterile pinnae sinuate-crenate to almost entire, up to 2-6 cm. long, of lanceolate order, bluntly to acutely pointed; lower pinnae approximate to confluent
13. lanceolatum
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