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Hymenophyllum rarum
Narrow filmy-fern is a delicate, thin-leaved fern from New Zealand and southeast Australia that grows on rocks or epiphytically on trees in moist gullies and rainforest. It needs humid, shaded conditions and a constantly moist environment to thrive.
Hymenophyllum rarum (Hymen-O-FIL-lum rare-um), the narrow filmy-fern, is a species of fern from the family Hymenophyllaceae. This thin-leaved fern is commonly found in New Zealand and Tasmania, growing in patches on rocks and is epiphytic on trees and tree ferns, growing in moist gullies or rainforests. A rather drought tolerant species often found at exposed sites ranging from coastal to montane areas. Forming extensive, interwoven and creeping patches with its thin long (creeping) rhizomes sparsely covered in red-brown hairs, easily recognised by its membranous grey-green fronds, the smooth margins of the pinnae, ultimate segments and indusia; and by the sunken sori in the uppermost segments of the uppermost pinnae.
The narrow filmy-fern is found in rainforests, forming patches on rocks and is often epiphytic on trees and tree ferns in moist gullies. It is highly dispersed throughout the tropical and south temperate zones occurring across Australia in New South Wales and Victoria. This species can also be found in Tasmania and on the Bass Strait Islands, While being highly dispersed throughout New Zealand, occurring on North and South Islands as well as, Stewart, Chatham and Auckland Islands.
Hymenophyllum alveolatum · Austral Filmy Fern · Hymenophyllum bivalve · Hymenophyllum brachypus · Creeping Filmy Fern · Hymenophyllum cristatum · Hymenophyllum cruentum · Common Filmy Fern · Drooping Filmy Fern · Hymenophyllum dilatatum · Falkland Filmy Fern · Fan Like Filmy Fern
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hymenophyllum rarum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
