Cheilanthes (genus)
Rock Fern at Greenleigh, NSW
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| Cheilanthes (genus) | MichaelMulvaney | 11 Jan 2017 | |
| Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia | AaronClausen | 1 Jan 2017 | |
| Unverified | CCPK | 1 Jan 2017 |
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User's notes
Small fernlike plants growing among bush rocks and crevices at the end of Lonergan Drive, Greenleigh, Queanbeyan
3 comments
2 Jan 2017
What worries me about this ID is the larger, more mature frond. It looks closer to C. sieberi. No doubt there's a continuum between the two species, probably affected by environment. Not possible to be definitive without a full keying out.
2 Jan 2017
David I don't have a clue and to be honest I have no idea the difference between C. sieberi and C. austrotenuifolia, but I was pretty sure it was one of the two. Will be guided by what you think is the closest match.
3 Jan 2017
C. austrotenuifolia usually is found in more protected areas. It grows well in Pine Plantations. e.g., the western slopes of Mt Majura. The fronds are spreading and delicate, and very pretty. C. sieberi may or may not be a separate species, possibly a habitat variant. It tends to grow in exposed areas (e.g. the top of Mt Stromlo). Its pinnae don't flatten out and are usually short and somewhat "crinkled". But (as Max Gray told me many years ago), it's unclear if the two are separate species. I suspect a DNA analysis would tell the difference, if there is one. If pushed, I'd identify the specimen as C. austrotenuifolia.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.248009-35.373044
- Places Greenleigh, NSW
Sighting information
- 4 - 15 Abundance
- 15 Jan 2016 06:45 PM Recorded on
- CCPK Recorded by
- Less than 10cm Plant height
Collections
Species information
- Cheilanthes (genus) Scientific name
- Rock Fern Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1034m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
5 / 7
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- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Description
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location