#parablechnum

[drhoz]

#2594 - Blechnum montanum - Mountain Kiokio

AKA Parablechnum montanum. Formerly Lomaria procera var. tegmentosa.

A montane and subalpine fern on the main islands, where it is most common on the South Island, but on the Chatham Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island it grows close to sea-level.

An adaptable species found in podocarp, broadleaved, beech and pine forest, under mānuka and kānuka, in subalpine scrub and herbfield, and in tussock grassland. It grows in rocky gorges, cliffs, amongst rocks, on outcrops, roadbanks and cuttings, on stream banks, near waterfalls, and in fernland and peat bog. In the subantarctic it grows under Metrosideros forest, Dracophyllum scrub and among megaherbs.

Easily propagated and transplanted, and flourishes in most conditions, but prefers a shaded site and a permanently moist, rich soil.

Arthur's Pass, Aotearoa New Zealand.

[drhoz]

The Great ACT-NSW-NZ Trip, 2023-2024 - Taranaki Ringplain

After Pohokura we spent a couple of days on the west coast of North Island - specifically, in the vicinity of Taranaki/Mt. Egmont, a young stratovolcano that is the most recent volcano in a long sequence of slowly migrating volcanism in the area. The hills to the northwest, and the plugs at the coast at New Plymouth, are all that remain of its predecessors. In fact, the entire ring of flattish and highly fertile land in Taranaki is the result of the repeated catastrophic collapse of the volcanoes over the last 1.75 million years.

The photo below was taken from Cape Egmont 30 kilometers from the volcano. Even out here there are layers of fridge-sized boulders deposited by the giant volcanic landslides.

The plugs at New Plymouth, 1.75 myo.

Historically, the area consisted of a narrow coastal plain covered by bracken, tutu, rewarewa and karaka trees, with anywhere not close to the coast covered in dense forest.

From about 1823 the Māori began having contact with European whalers and flax traders. English settlers were first dropped here in 1841, and within a year were trying to deal with plagues of the rats they brought with them.

The stuff we saw on the volcano itself I'll cover seperately, but there was no shortage of species in New Plymouth, along the coast, at Lake Mangamahoe, and where we were staying.

[drhoz]

#2205 - Blechnum minus - Soft Water-Fern 

AKA Parablechnum minus, Blechnum capense var. minor, Lomaria minor, Lomaria procera var. minor and Lomaria procera var. paludosa. Originally named Stegania minor.

Supposedly a small fern found in moist habitat in eastern Australia and New Zealand. These ones certainly a good size, for a ground-dwelling non-tree-fern.

Katikati Bird Gardens, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

[drhoz]

#1904 - Parablechnum novae-zelandiae -  Kiokio

Another large fern from Huka Falls. 

Also known as Blechnun novae-zelandiae, horokio and Palm-leaf Fern.

Common in many different NZ forests, and also frequently seen growing on roadbanks, regardless of clay soil, wet ground, and low light. It even grows as a weed in some urban areas. The fronds can be anywhere from 20cm to 3m long, starting pink and turning an attractive glossy green. Like the previous fern, grown as an ornamental, but obviously one that needs plenty of room.