Austroblechnum lanceolatum

Austroblechnum lanceolatum, synonym Blechnum chambersii,^[1] is a species of fern within the family Blechnaceae, found in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji.^[2] It is indigenous to Australia and New Zealand.^[3]

Austroblechnum lanceolatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Division:	Polypodiophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Suborder:	Aspleniineae
Family:	Blechnaceae
Genus:	Austroblechnum
Species:	A. lanceolatum
Binomial name
Austroblechnum lanceolatum (R.Br.) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich[1]
Synonyms[1]
Acrostichum nanum (Fée) Hook. Austroblechnum doodioides (Brack.) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich Blechnum chambersii Tind. Blechnum doodioides (Brack.) Brownlie Blechnum lanceolatum (R.Br.) Sturm Egonolfia nana Fée Lomaria doodioides Brack. Lomaria lanceolata (R.Br.) Spreng. Spicanta lanceolata (R.Br.) Kuntze Stegania lanceolata R.Br. Struthiopteris lanceolata (R.Br.) Ching

A. lanceolatum is commonly called lance water fern, and in New Zealand it is also referred to by its Māori names, nini and rereti.^[4]

Description

A medium-sized fern with tufted fronds 85-700mm in length. The fronds are strongly dimorphic with differing sterile and fertile fronds. Both frond types are 15-115mm wide.^[3]

Distribution

A. lanceolatum is found in the southeast of Australia as well as on Samoa, Fiji and on the North Island of New Zealand and in many of the coastal forests of South Island of New Zealand.

It is the host species for the New Zealand endemic moth Batrachedra litterata.^[5]