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Blechnum occidentale L.

Hammock fern (en)

Species

Pteridophytes > Polypodiales > Blechnaceae > Blechnoideae > Blechnum

Characteristics

Rhizome creeping to erect. Sterile and fertile fronds similar, 14-40 cm long, 6-12 cm wide. Stipe 2-30 cm long, stramineous to brown; scales subulate, entire, pale brown. Lamina ovate, pinnate at base, pinnatifid towards apex, with up to 22 pairs of pinnae or pinnules; rachis and costae stramineous to brown, often with short hairs; sterile pinnae falcate with acute to obtuse upward-pointing apices and bases rounded decurrently and slightly lobed distally, 3-6 cm long, to 10 mm wide, stalked at base of lamina to adnate and contiguous towards apex; margins entire to minutely serrate; basal pinnae somewhat shorter, often deflexed. Sori on either side of the costa, not extending to apex of pinnae. Spores 37 × 24 µm (based on non-Australian material), 43 × 29 µm (one Australian specimen); perine smooth or scaberulous to minutely rugulose; exine minutely verruculose.
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Varieties 2 (1 in the flora): North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.
A fern. The fronds are 1 m long. The fronds are broad.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality -
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.3 - 0.6
Root system rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color -
Blooming months -
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

In Qld, naturalised in rainforest margins; in its native environment it is widespread in open forests.
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It is a temperate plant. It grows in rainforest.
Light 1-6
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture -
Soil acidity -
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

The stems (rhizomes) are roasted and eaten.
Uses medicinal
Edible rhizomes stems
Therapeutic use Diuretics (unspecified), Hypotension (unspecified), Diuretics (whole plant), Hypotension (whole plant)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Blechnum occidentale leaf picture by Boon Daniel (cc-by-sa)
Blechnum occidentale leaf picture by David Schmielden (cc-by-sa)
Blechnum occidentale leaf picture by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Blechnum occidentale flower picture by BM Dayana (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Blechnum occidentale fruit picture by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Blechnum occidentale world distribution map, present in Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Barbados, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Guatemala, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Montserrat, Martinique, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Paraguay, El Salvador, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Conservation status

Blechnum occidentale threat status: Vulnerable

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:33632-2
WFO ID wfo-0001109501
COL ID M3VQ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 446599
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Struthiopteris appendiculata Blechnum cunninghamii Blechnum extensum Blechnum drepanophyllum Blechnum falciculatum Blechnum haenkeanum Blechnum helveolum Blechnum humile Blechnum lomariaceum Blechnum triangulatum Spicanta occidentalis Blechnum x falciculatum Blechnum sodiroi Struthiopteris caudata Blechnum galeottii Mesothema campylotis Blechnum falcatum Lomaria campylotis Blechnum cognatum Blechnum acuminatum Blechnum campylotis Blechnum mucronatum Blechnum suburbicum Blechnum rugosum Blechnum occidentale var. occidentale Blechnum occidentale var. campylotis Blechnum occidentale
WorldFloraDB 2024