Asplenium obtusatum
Species of fern
Asplenium obtusatum, the shore spleenwort or paranako, is a species of spleenwort found in New Zealand and other Pacific isles.
01Description
Shore spleenworts grow up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) high and the same across. They are evergreen plants with plump fronds and bulky rhizomes that often protrude above-ground as a woody lump. Spleenworts have elongated, rather than circular, sori; those of Asplenium obtustatum grow to 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long.
02Distribution
Shore spleenworts are found in coastal habitats on both main islands of New Zealand (North and South), as well as Stewart Island, Campbell Island, and the Chatham, the Snares, Auckland, and the Antipodes islands. It is also reported from various southern Pacific and Atlantic islands and from parts of South America.
03Taxonomy
Asplenium obtusatum is commonly known as the shore spleenwort; its Māori name is "paranako". The specific epithet, obtusatum, means "blunt".
There are two subspecies: A. o. obtusatum, more common in the South Island; and A. o. northlandicum, smaller and found near Auckland.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Asplenium obtusatum”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Asplenium obtusatum kz3.jpg by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0
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