This beautiful fern has dark glossy and sturdy fronds and was growing in between boulders in the river
Observation Data
Classification & Common Names
- Class: Polypodiopsida
- Family: Blechnaceae
- Genus: Blechnum L.
- Species: Blechnum occidentale L.
- Var./Subsp.:
- Common name(s):
General Observation Data
- Date: 6 Feb 2015
- Habitat:
- Habit:
Additional Comments
Location
- Location: – – – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil.
- Coordinates:
- Elevation: ca. 20 m
This is a species of Blechnum in the Blechnum occidentale group. There are nine species in this group in southern and southeastern Brazil; the group was recently reviewed by Oliveira-Dittrich et al. (2015).
Thank you,
Forgive my ignorance, but are these several species in the Blechnum occidentale group, subspecies then?
My fern looks so different from the images of Blechnum occidentale on a web search..
Hi Myriam,
They aren’t subspecies, but rather species that are related to Blechnum occidentale, which is a widespread and variable species.
Wes
Thank you Wes, as far as I think I understand I cannot call this fern Blechnum occidentale but a Blechnum sp. related to B.occidentale with not yet its own species name?
Thank you for your patience with a layman (in this case laywomen,lol) I have always loved ferns, they fascinate me but I don’t have the scientific background.
Hi Myriam,
You are right in saying that it is not B. occidentale, but related to it. However, it (almost certainly) is a described species with its own name. I just don’t know it. The in this group in Brazil were sorted out recently in a paper by Oliveira-Dittrich (2015) that is titled “The Blechnum occidentale (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida) species group in southern and southeastern Brazil.”
The PhD thesis of the first author on that paper (which I don’t have access to) is available online; it also deals with Blechnum in Brazil.
You can access it here (if you can’t let me know): https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vinicius_Dittrich2/publication/266559992_Estudos_taxonmicos_no_gnero_Blechnum_L._(Pterophyta_Blechnaceae)_para_as_regies_Sudeste_e_Sul_do_Brasil/links/5434aa8a0cf2dc341daf49e0.pdf
Looking at that thesis, maybe your plant is Blechnum austrobrasilianum? (Not to be confused with Blechnum brasiliense.)
Thanks Wes for the clarification, the link is working fine.
I’ll have a better look at it tomorrow.
Dear Myriam,
This is exactly Blechnum occidentale L.
Best,
Vinícius
Thank you Vinicius!
Myriam
You’re welcome, Myriam 🙂
Best to you,
Vinícius
Thanks for the comments everyone! I have updated the post with Vinicius’ determination
Thanks, Michael! All the best,
Vinícius