Biology:Dicksonia fibrosa
| Dicksonia fibrosa | |
|---|---|
| File:Dicksonia fibrosa kz2.jpg | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Cyatheales |
| Family: | Dicksoniaceae |
| Genus: | Dicksonia |
| Species: | D. fibrosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Dicksonia fibrosa | |
Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga, wheki-kōnga,[3] or kurīpākā (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand. It is similar to the related Dicksonia antarctica in that it is slow-growing and can withstand sub-zero temperatures.[4][5]
Etymology and taxonomy
Dicksonia fibrosa Colenso in Hooker, Sp. Fil. 1, 68 (1844) was originally collected by Colenso, but was inadvertently described by Hooker.[6] Dicksonia refers to James Dickson. fibrosa refers to the fibrous trunk.[3]
D. fibrosa is known by the names kuranui-pākā, kurīpākā, pūnui, tūkirunga, wekī, whekī, wheki-ponga, whekī-kōhunga, wheki-kohoonga, or whekī-ponga in Māori.[7]
Description
D. fibrosa has a thick, soft and fibrous rusty brown trunk. According to Large & Braggins, the trunk can be up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in diameter.[4] It holds on to its dead leaves producing a distinctive pale brown skirt, distinguishing it from the related Dicksonia squarrosa.[8] A slow-growing plant, similar to Dicksonia antarctica,[9] D. fibrosa can reach a height of 6 metres (20 ft). It requires winter protection in any area that is subject to winter frosts. A local race or variety of D. fibrosa found to the region of Tauranga regularly branches dichotomously producing as many as nineteen forks.[10]
Distribution and habitat
D. fibrosa can be found in the South Island, Chatham Islands, and in the North Island, but is uncommon north of the Waikato River and Coromandel Peninsula.[3] It is rare on Stewart Island.[6]
It is now naturalised in the Auckland area, and on Hawaiʻi.[6]
D. fibrosa inhabits coastal and montane areas. It extends up to 1100 m in elevation in Kaweka and Ruahine ranges of the North Island, but only to around 400 m in Marlborough.[6]
D. fibrosa prefers wet areas and gulleys, under full forest cover, particularly podocarp, southern beech or broadleaf forests.[6][3]
It is quite cold-hardy and can be found in many temperate regions that experience sub-zero temperatures.[5]
Ecology
D. fibrosa is a long-lived species, up to 250 years. They are important for nutrient cycling, as well as for influencing the light locally where they can shade-out light-loving species. Their stems can also provide locations for epiphytes.[7] The species is also a host for many species of fungi.[11]
Human uses
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.[12]
It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[13][14]
References
- ↑ McLea, W.L. (1990-06-01). "Palynology of Pohehe Swamp, northwest Wairarapa, New Zealand: a study of climatic and vegetation changes during the last 41,000 years". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 20 (2): 205–220. doi:10.1080/03036758.1990.10426725. ISSN 0303-6758.
- ↑ Colenso, W. (1845) Tasmanian J. Nat. Sci. 2(8): 179
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Dicksonia fibrosa". https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/dicksonia-fibrosa/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Large, Mark F.; Braggins, John E. (2004). Tree Ferns. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 20, 284 & 288.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Brock, James M. R.; Bellvé, André M.; Burns, Bruce R. (2025). "Marcescence and prostrate growth in tree ferns are adaptations to cold tolerance" (in en). Ecography 2025 (6). doi:10.1111/ecog.07362. ISSN 1600-0587.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Flora of New Zealand | Taxon Profile | Dicksonia fibrosa". https://www.nzflora.info/factsheet/Taxon/Dicksonia-fibrosa.html.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Brock, James M. R.; Perry, George L. W.; Lee, William G.; Burns, Bruce R. (1 September 2016). "Tree fern ecology in New Zealand: A model for southern temperate rainforests". Forest Ecology and Management 375: 112–126. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2016.05.030. ISSN 0378-1127. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0378112716302705.
- ↑ Andrew Crowe (1997). A Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Native Ferns. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books. p. 11.
- ↑ "Dicksonia antarctica comparison". http://www.forestferns.co.uk/tree-ferns/dicksonia/dicksonia-fibrosa.
- ↑ Dobbie, H. B. (April–June 1929). "A Forest of Forked Tree Ferns". American Fern Journal 19 (2): 41–44. doi:10.2307/1543717.
- ↑ "Dicksonia fibrosa Colenso". 10 May 2011. https://biotanz.landcareresearch.co.nz/scientific-names/cd97a2e2-db4b-40dd-ae2a-b1dc6dc61cdd.
- ↑ "Dicksonia fibrosa. Whekī-ponga. Tree fern.". Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. https://rauropiwhakaoranga.landcareresearch.co.nz/names/f286833a-d718-4dd1-a622-1ae438f3350d.
- ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Dicksonia fibrosa". https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/5796/Dicksonia-fibrosa/Details.
- ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental". Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 29. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf. "Other common names; woolly tree fern. Synonyms; Cyathea fibrosa"
External links
Data related to Dicksonia fibrosa at Wikispecies
Wikidata ☰ Q5273821 entry
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