Dicksonia fibrosa

Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, whekī-ponga or kuripaka (in Māori) is a species of medium-sized tree fern native to New Zealand.

Dicksonia fibrosa
Dicksonia fibrosa, Berne Botanical Garden, Switzerland
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Cyatheales
Family: Dicksoniaceae
Genus: Dicksonia
Species:
D. fibrosa
Binomial name
Dicksonia fibrosa

D. fibrosa has a thick, soft and fibrous rusty brown trunk. It holds on to its dead leaves producing a distinctive pale brown skirt, distinguishing it from the related Dicksonia squarrosa.[2] A slow-growing plant, similar to Dicksonia antarctica,[3] D. fibrosa can reach a height of 6 metres (20 ft). It requires winter protection in any area that is subject to winter frosts. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[4][5]

Distribution

D. fibrosa can be found in the South Island, Stewart and Chatham Islands; also in the North Island, but is uncommon north of the Waikato River and Coromandel Peninsula.[6]

References
  1. Colenso, W. (1845) Tasmanian J. Nat. Sci. 2(8): 179
  2. Andrew Crowe (1997). A Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Native Ferns. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books. p. 11.
  3. "Dicksonia antarctica comparison".
  4. "RHS Plant Selector - Dicksonia fibrosa". Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 29. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  6. "Dicksonia fibrosa details". nzpcn.org.nz. New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
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