Neoblechnum
Genus of ferns
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neoblechnum is a genus of ferns in the family Blechnaceae, subfamily Blechnoideae, with a single species Neoblechnum brasiliense, according to the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification of 2016 (PPG I).[1] The genus is accepted in a 2016 classification of the family Blechnaceae,[3] but other sources sink it into a very broadly defined Blechnum, equivalent to the whole of the PPG I subfamily;[4] the species is then known as Blechnum brasiliense. It is called Brazilian dwarf tree fern, red Brazilian tree fern, and red dwarf tree fern.[5][6]
| Neoblechnum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Suborder: | Aspleniineae |
| Family: | Blechnaceae |
| Genus: | Neoblechnum Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich[1] |
| Species: | N. brasiliense |
| Binomial name | |
| Neoblechnum brasiliense (Desv.) Gasper & V.A.O.Dittrich[1] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Description
The erect rhizome of Neoblechnum brasiliense forms a thin stipe-stubbed trunk up to 30 centimetres (12 in) in height. The new foliage is a striking deep red color. As the fronds mature it turns to a glossy green.[7] On some selections, the new fronds emerge a pinkish-red.
Distribution
The fern is native to the warm and humid subtropical forests of South America.[7]
Habitats include:[5]
- the Atlantic Forest biome, within southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, and the interiors of Argentina and Paraguay.
- the Amazon region, in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Guyana.
- Guatemala.
Cultivation
Neoblechnum brasiliense is cultivated as an ornamental plant.[7] In the UK (under the synonym Blechnum brasiliense) it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[8] As it will not tolerate temperatures below 15 °C (59 °F) it must be grown under glass all year in temperate regions.
Cultivars
Named cultivars include:
Gallery
New red fronds emerging, Jardin des Plantes conservatory
Specimen in the United States Botanic Garden conservatory
