Flora of New Zealand Series

Osmunda capensis L. Mantissa 1771, 306.

Osmunda procera Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 78.

Onoclea procera (Forst. f.) Spreng. in Schrad. J. Bot. (1799) 2, 1799, 267.

Blechnum procerum (Forst. f.) Swartz Syn. Fil. 1806, 115.

Lomaria capensis (L.) Willd. Sp. Pl. 5, 1810, 291.

Stegania procera R. Br. Prodr. 1810, 153.

Lomaria procera Spreng. Syst. Veg. 4, 1827, 65.

L. latifolia Col. in Tasm. J. nat. Sci. 2, 1846, 175.

L. duplicata Potts in T.N.Z.I. 9, 1877, 491.

Type locality: Cape Peninsula. Type: collected by Koenig, in Herb. Linn. Soc. Lond.

Rhizome woody, ascending or creeping, up to 40 cm. long, densely clad in pale brown subulate-attenuate paleae c. 2 cm. long; stipites distributed, but us. crowded. Stipes stout, pale brown, ± asperous, paleate at base or throughout, 10-20-(50) cm. long. Rhachis stout, grooved, rather densely paleate on upper surface when young, bearing alt. to subopp. pinnae in up to 30 pairs. Sterile lamina dark green above, paler below, thinly coriac., harsh, broadly ovate-oblong to lanceolate-oblong, acuminate, (10)-15-50-(100) cm. or more × (5)-10-30 cm. or more. Lower pinnae us. shorter than mid, often obtuse. Larger pinnae 7-15-(30) × 1-3 cm., attached by costa, lanceolate to oblong, acuminate; costa grooved above, prominent below, ± paleate; base cuneately truncate to subcordate or auriculate; margins finely serrate; veinlets close-set, simple or forked. Terminal pinna up to 20 cm. long or more. Fertile lamina 15-50 cm. or more × 8-20 cm, lanceolate-oblong; pinnae 5-25 cm. × 3-5 mm., ascending to patent, distant, linear, us. abruptly widened at base by sterile auricles. Lower pinnae often shorter, broader, ovate-oblong, partly or completely sterile. Sori covering undersurface, costa us. visible, indusium becoming erose.

DIST.: K., Three Kings, N., S., St., Ch., A., C., Ant. Lowland to subalpine forest, boggy to dry open ground and rocky places throughout. Kiokio. Often aggressive after modification of primitive cover and forming extensive patches. Also widespread in one or other of its forms: Tasmania, Australia, Pacific Islands, Malaya; S. America to W. Indies; S. Africa.

The complex needs much further study. Forster's Osmunda procera is maintained by various authors as a sp. distinct from B. capense of S. Africa. Forster's description is: "frondibus pinnatis, pinnis remotis, ovato-oblongis acuminatis serratis sessilibus". Schelpe (J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 53, 1952, 497) examined Australasian material: "There is considerable graded variation within this group, but no constant characters have been found whereby a separation of segregates in this group could be effected satisfactorily." I can find nothing in Schelpe's description of B. capense to justify separating the forms found in N.Z. from that sp. S. procera var. stipulosa A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z. 1832, 86, is based on specimens in which the fertile pinnules are much expanded at the base.

Colenso's L. latifolia (Type in W, "shaded woods, Te Waiiti district, Jan., 1842") lies between B. capense and B. minus. The type consists of one fertile frond and two sterile. Sterile fronds: stipes 10-14 cm., paleate at base; laminae 20 × 10 cm.; 22 × 13 cm.; with 6 and 9 lateral pinnae; pinnae up to 6·5 × 2 cm., oblong to lanceolate-oblong, obtuse to subacute or acute; terminal pinna c. 12 × 2.5 cm. Fertile frond with stipes 21·5 cm. long, lamina 23 × 10 cm.; terminal pinna 11·5 cm.

L. duplicata Potts is based on specimens from Nothofagus forest in the Malvern district. The stipites are once or rarely twice forked, bearing both simple and branched laminae. Various other abnormal forms are met with. Fertile and sterile pinnae are sts found on the same lamina, and sts pinnae otherwise fertile have barren apices. Crested forms also occur. Several forms deserving of closer study are illustrated by Dobbie (New Zealand Ferns 1951, pp. 297-301). The form shown on p. 299 approaches Colenso's latifolia. Forms answering the following description are found within the range of the sp. in N.Z. Rhizome slender; stipites rather distant, slender, 3-10 cm. long; rhachis slender, bearing up to 15 rather distant lateral pinnae. Sterile lamina up to 30 × 10 cm.; pinnae membr., oblong, obtuse to subacute, up to 5 cm. × 15 mm.; terminal pinna up to 10 cm. long, lanceolate-acuminate. Fertile lamina up to 20 × 8 cm.; pinnae up to 4 cm. long. The status of these forms remains uncertain.

Colenso (T.N.Z.I. 25, 1893, 323) says of his var. gracilis : "Its striking points of difference are - its slender, graceful, and neat appearance; its few, thin, small, distant, obtuse pinnae, with their finely-serrulate margins; its filiform and long stipes; and its densely-hairy and red roots." The type locality is "open margins of low wood, edge of great plain south of Dannevirke, County of Waipawa; 1892; scarce: W.C."