Leptopteris superba

Leptopteris superba, commonly called Prince of Wales feathers or common crape fern, is a fern in the genus Leptopteris.

Prince of Wales feather
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Osmundales
Family: Osmundaceae
Genus: Leptopteris
Species:
L. superba
Binomial name
Leptopteris superba
Synonyms[1]
  • Osmunda superba (Colenso) J.B.Armstr.
  • Todea superba Colenso

It is considered endemic to New Zealand at North Island: Northland, Auckland, Volcanic Plateau, Gisborne, Taranaki, Southern North Island.

South Island: Western Nelson, Sounds-Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago, Southland Fiordland.

Stewart Island. Altitudinal range: 0–1600 m.

Leptopteris superba has a predominantly southern distribution, occurring from Mt. Te Aroha southwards, apart from an isolated record (Rawlings 1972) from c. 700 m in Waipoua Forest (CHR 191223) and a 19th-century collection by E.M. Smith from Little Barrier Island (AK 119092).

In the North Island it is common in montane forest from Te Aroha to Wellington, occurring from about 250 m up to 1400 m on Maungapōhatu in the Urewera Ranges.

In the South Island it is abundant in wet forest on the west side of the Main Divide, in the Marlborough Sounds, and around Dunedin and the Catlins, extending also to Stewart Island. It occurs from sea level in Fiordland to about 1600 m in the Takitimu Ranges near Monowai.[2]

It is characterized by having large fronds (around a meter in length) with large sporangia on their undersides. The shape of the fronds is elliptical (similar to that of Ostrich Fern). It grows from wet lowlands to montane forests.[3] Notably, its leaves are a single cell thick. [4]

References
  1. "Leptopteris superba (Colenso) C.Presl, 1847". New Zealand Organisms Register. Landcare Research, Alan Herbarium. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  2. Flora of New Zealand: Leptopteris superba (Colenso) C. Presl
  3. "Leptopteris superba (Prince of Wales Fern)". T.E.R.R.A.I.N. Taranaki Educational Resource: Research, Analysis and Information Network. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  4. Fairchild, David. The World Was My Garden. p. 93.
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