Hymenophyllum polyanthos

Hymenophyllaceae

Hymenophyllum polyanthos (Sw.) Sw.

Link to Australian Plant Name Index for publication details and synonyms: https://id.biodiversity.org.au/name/apni/80341

Rhizome slender, wiry, branched. Fronds 2.3–25.5 cm long, pendulous. Stipes 0.6–6 cm long, scattered along the rhizome, narrowly winged for most of their length. Lamina irregularly linear to narrowly lanceolate, deeply 3-pinnatifid or more divided, 1.8–19.5 cm long, 0.8–4.7 cm wide, glabrous; wing on the main rachis flat; pinnae and their segments overlapping; ultimate segments linear, obtuse, 0.4–1.4 mm wide, uniformly 1 cell thick. Sori numerous, more abundant in the upper part of the frond; involucre ovate to elliptic, bilabiate, divided to the middle, remainder immersed in the apices of ultimate segments, 0.7–2.3 mm long, 0.7–1.5 mm wide, narrower than the segments; margins entire, rarely uneven; receptacle included. 

Occurs on Cape York Peninsula and the Daintree-Mossman region of NE QLD. Also widespread in the Palaeotropics.

Epiphytic on tree trunks and branches or lithophytic in complex notophyll and mesophyll vine forest, usually near creeks.

An extremely widespread pantropical filmy-fern species complex with variations in frond dissection found in different populations. The Australian population is recognised as Hymenophyllum polyanthos subsp. contiguum.