Pteris dentata subsp. flabellata
Common name
toothed brake, South African brake
Family
Pteridaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Ferns
Conservation status
Not applicable
Distribution
Naturalised. New Zealand: North Island (Auckland and Hamilton). Indigenous to South Africa.
Habitat
An uncommon urban fern that is usually found on base rich substrates such as basalt rock, basalt stone and/or concrete walls in urban areas.
Similar taxa
Pteris tremula from which P. dentata differs by the 1–2–(3) pinnate fronds. The pinnae of sterile fronds are distinctly pectinate.
Year naturalised
1979
Origin
South Africa
Control techniques
Disposal Method
Hand pull and burn—ideally before sporangia are ripe
Preferred Control
As above
Etymology
pteris: A fern known to the ancient Greeks; from the Greek pteris
dentata: Toothed
flabellata: Fan shaped; from the Latin flabellum; shape of the leaves
Notes
Pteris dentata is very occasionally cultivated and all wild occurrences appear to have stemmed from deliberate nearby plantings. Although cold sensitive, once established P. dentata is remarkably resilient, e.g., it has survived repeated attempts to eradicate it from the grounds of the University of Auckland since it first established there in the 1970s. It was first recorded wild in 1979 (Heenan et al. 1999).
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (18 January 2012).
References and further reading
Heenan PB, de Lange PJ, Glenny DS, Breitwieser I, Brownsey PJ, Ogle CC. 1999. Checklist of dicotyledons, gymnosperms, and pteridophytes naturalised or casual in New Zealand: additional records 1997–1998. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37(4): 629–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1999.9512658.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pteris dentata subsp. flabellata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pteris-dentata-subsp-flabellata/ (Date website was queried)