Pneumatopteris truncata

Pneumatopteris truncata, also known as the Christmas Island fern, is a species of terrestrial fern in the Thelypteridaceae family.

Pneumatopteris truncata
Conservation status
Critically endangered  (EPBC Act)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Division:	Polypodiophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Suborder:	Aspleniineae
Family:	Thelypteridaceae
Genus:	Pneumatopteris
Species:	P. truncata
Binomial name
Pneumatopteris truncata (Poir.) Holttum
Synonyms
Polypodium truncatum Poir. Polystichum truncatum (Poir.) Gaudich. Nephrodium truncatum (Poir.) C.Presl Dryopteris truncata (Poir.) Kuntze Pneumatopteris truncata var. truncata

Description

The species grows as a large upright fern with 80–120 cm long fronds.^[1]

Distribution and habitat

The species is found in various sites in Asia, including India, southern China and Indochina. It also occurs on Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the eastern Indian Ocean, where it inhabits permanently moist sites in deep shade. The extremely small Christmas Island population has been listed as Critically Endangered under Australia's EPBC Act.^[1]