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 | |
Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga, wheki-kōnga,[2] or kurīpākā (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand.
Etymology and taxonomy
[edit]Dicksonia fibrosa Colenso in Hooker, Sp. Fil. 1, 68 (1844) was originally collected by Colenso, but was inadvertently described by Hooker.[3] Dicksonia refers to James Dickson. fibrosa refers to the fibrous trunk.[2]
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.[4]
Description
[edit]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.[5] A slow-growing plant, similar to Dicksonia antarctica,[6] D. fibrosa can reach a height of 6 metres (20 ft). It requires winter protection in any area that is subject to winter frosts.
Distribution and habitat
[edit]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.[2] It is rare on Stewart Island.[3]
It is now naturalised in the Auckland area, and on Hawai'i.[3]
D. fibrosa inhabits coastal and montane areas. It extends up to 1100m in elevation in Kaweka and Ruahine ranges of the north island, but only to around 400m in Marlborough.[3]
D. fibrosa prefers wet areas and gulleys, under full forest cover, particularly podocarp, Southern beech or broadleaf forests.[3][2]
Ecology
[edit]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.[4] The species is also a host for many species of fungi.[7]
Human uses
[edit]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.[8]
It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ^ Colenso, W. (1845) Tasmanian J. Nat. Sci. 2(8): 179
- ^ a b c d "Dicksonia fibrosa". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Flora of New Zealand | Taxon Profile | Dicksonia fibrosa". Flora of New Zealand. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Andrew Crowe (1997). A Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Native Ferns. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books. p. 11.
- ^ "Dicksonia antarctica comparison".
- ^ "Dicksonia fibrosa Colenso". Biota of NZ. 10 May 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Dicksonia fibrosa. Whekī-ponga. Tree fern". rauropiwhakaoranga.landcareresearch.co.nz. Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Dicksonia fibrosa". Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 29. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
External links
[edit]
Data related to Dicksonia fibrosa at Wikispecies
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