Fern identification

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Can anyone help with identification of this fern?  I've photographed the plant, a frond, the underside of the frond to show the arrangement of the sporangia in relation to the rest of the front, and a closeup of the sporangia bearing pinnae.  Fronds are about 1.2m long at this stage.  It looks at first glance like it should be one of the "tree ferns" but it seems to be multi-crowning and doesn't look like it intends to produce a trunk.  Even if someone can give me a genus to start looking I might just be able to track it down.  I "think" this is most likely an Aussie native, but cannot be sure of that.  It is growing in the ANBG but was not specifically planted, i.e the spore has come from somewhere either within the ANBG or drifted in from outside.  That is why I can't be 100% sure it is actually a native here.

So.... any takers?

[Ed Alverson]

Paul,

It looks like it might be Todea barbara:

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Todea~barbara

It is a member of the Osmundaceae.

Ed

[Paul T]

Ed,

Thanks.  I had wondered that myself, but it is quite a bit different to the one I grow at home here.  Also seems different to the other Todea we grow at work as well, so maybe a slightly different form.  The fronds were different enough to have me thinking it was not the same thing.

Also, I had never seen that spelling of the name before.... I'd always seen Todea barbata, but there seems to be both on google.  I "think" it is supposed to be T. barbata isn't it?  Can't lay my hands on any of my fern reference books right at this moment. Too much junk in my house. 

Added 17-11-08 : Definitely Todea barbara, unlike the spelling I had often seen with the T in it.  Good to have that sorted out.  Thanks Ed!!