Dicksonia fibrosa

Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga or kuripaka (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand.

Dicksonia fibrosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Cyatheales
Family: Dicksoniaceae
Genus: Dicksonia
Species:
D. fibrosa
Binomial name
Dicksonia fibrosa

D. fibrosa has a thick, soft and fibrous rusty brown trunk. It holds on to its dead leaves producing a distinctive pale brown skirt, distinguishing it from the related Dicksonia squarrosa.[2] A slow-growing plant, similar to Dicksonia antarctica,[3] D. fibrosa can reach a height of 6 metres (20 ft). It requires winter protection in any area that is subject to winter frosts. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[4][5]

Distribution

D. fibrosa can be found in the South Island, Stewart and Chatham Islands; also in the North Island, but is uncommon north of the Waikato River and Coromandel Peninsula.[6]

Human Use

Slabs cut from the thick stem of the whekī-ponga, alongside D. squarrosa, were used by Māori over 150 years ago in constructing the outside of houses, or lining underground storage spaces.[7]

References
  1. Colenso, W. (1845) Tasmanian J. Nat. Sci. 2(8): 179
  2. Andrew Crowe (1997). A Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Native Ferns. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books. p. 11.
  3. "Dicksonia antarctica comparison".
  4. "RHS Plant Selector - Dicksonia fibrosa". Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 29. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  6. "Dicksonia fibrosa details". nzpcn.org.nz. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  7. "Dicksonia fibrosa. Whekī-ponga. Tree fern". rauropiwhakaoranga.landcareresearch.co.nz. Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dicksonia fibrosa.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.