Biology:Dicksonia fibrosa
| Dicksonia fibrosa | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Cyatheales |
| Family: | Dicksoniaceae |
| Genus: | Dicksonia |
| Species: | D. fibrosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Dicksonia fibrosa Colenso[1]
| |
Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga or kuripaka (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand.
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
- ↑ Colenso, W. (1845) Tasmanian J. Nat. Sci. 2(8): 179
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Dicksonia fibrosa". https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/5796/Dicksonia-fibrosa/Details. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental". Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 29. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ↑ "Dicksonia fibrosa details". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.asp?ID=1789. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ↑ "Dicksonia fibrosa. Whekī-ponga. Tree fern.". Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. https://rauropiwhakaoranga.landcareresearch.co.nz/names/f286833a-d718-4dd1-a622-1ae438f3350d. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q5273821 entry
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