lSSN 0811-5311 DATE - SEPTEMBER 19 87

"REGISTERD BY AUSTRALIA POST - , FTlBL IC AT ION

LEADER : P e t e r Hind, 4 1 Mi l l e r stredt, M t . D r u i t t 2770

SECRETARY : Moreen Woollet t , 3 Curriwang Place , Como West 2226

HON. TREASURER: Margaret Olde, 138 F m l e r ~ o a d , I l l a o n g 2234

SPORE BANK: Jenny Thompson, 2a Albion b lace , Engadine 2233

D e a r W e r s , I

First the good w s . I

?hanks to the m y me&- w h o p d d e d articles, umrmts and s l ides , the book u h i c h w e are produehg thraqh the Pblisw Secticm of S.G.A.P. (NSFi) wted is nearing c~np3etion. mjbl ica t io~ ls hkmger , Bill Payne has proof copies and is currm'tly l t - d h g firral co-m.

!€his u i l l be *e initial. volume in ghat is expeckd to be a -1ete reference to & ~ ~ t x a l i r r n ferns and is t i t l ed "The Australian Fern Series 1". It is only a smll volm~hi& hcrpefully can be retailed at an afford& le price -b the majority of fern grcw ers.

Our prl3 Emtion differs -Em m a q rrgard&gr' b mks b-use it is not f u l l of irrelevant padding, m e -is has been on pm3uci.q a practical guide to tihe cultivation of particular Aus&dlian native ferns, There is me article of a technical nature based rm recent research, but al-h scientific this tm has been x ritten in simple tmm that would be appreciated by most fern grm ers, A feature of the b e is the 1- nuher of striking full =lour Uus.hratims.

In our next W s l e t t e r g e hope t o say more &opt details of p h l i c a t i m

EOODIA SP . NO. 1 - CANIF

On the l a s t page of t h i s Newsletter t h e r e i s d photo copy of another unsual and apparently a t t r a c t i v e f e rn cont r ibuted by Queensland member Rod Pa t t i son .

This i s one of th ree unusual Doodias discoverdd by ~ o d near Cania (w. ~ l d . 1 I t i s hoped t o f ea tu re t h e o t h e r two Coodias i n f u t u r e Newsletters.

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No s tud ies have been undertaken i n regard t o t h i s species a d accordingly the p l a n t has n o t been nominated a name a t t h i s s tage . The qore p a t t e r n i s s i m i l a r t o Doodia caudata and it may prove t o be a form of t h a t species , a l b e i t a Large fern .

Spore has been taken and it i s hoped t h a t t h i s w i l l prove successful a s only one p l a n t is known t o e x i s t at present . A l s o an add i t iona l specimen i s requi red f o r submission t o the National Herbarium i n Sydney f o r examination. It i s l i k e l y t o be some time before any plants w i l l become genera l ly available.

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BURRENDONG ARBORETUM

Our member K y r i l l Taylor has made ava i l ab le recent corr:espondence he has had with M r . Bob Carr the NSW Minister f o r Planning & Environment.

K y r i l l had wr i t t en t o the Minister and expressed concern a t the l ik l ihood of National Parks & Wildlife o f f i c e r s being appointed managers of a "museum" of l i v i n g Austral ian nat ive f l o r a t h a t had proven t o be a refuge f o r many endangered species .

The following response from M r . Carr ind ica tes t h a t s o f a r we have f a i l e d t o convince the Government of Burrendong's importance.

"I r e f e r t o your recent l e t t e r concerning the Eurrendong Arboretum.

A s you may be aware the Royal Botanic Gardens w i l l . no t be accepting respons ib i l i ty f o r the administrat ion of the Arboretum. A s a consequence the Arboretum w i l l continue a s p a r t of the Burrendong S t a t e Recreation Area.

The Director of National Parks and Wildl ife advises me t h a t the Service w i l l now prepare management guidel ines f o r the operat ion of the Arboretum based upon the repor t prepared by Ho~r t i cu l tu ra l Consultant M r . J. Wrigley and the comments received on the r epor t from a range of i n t e r e s t e d persons and organisa t ions . Future funding of the Arboretum w i l l r e f l e c t these management guidel ines .

The Service has provided the funds necessary f o r t h e employment of a su i t ab ly q u a l i f i e d person a s Arboretum Curator. This person w i l l be responsible t o the Burrendong S ta te Recreation Area Trust f o r the management of the Arboretum. Employment of the Curator represents an upgrading of the present Arboretum Foreman's pos i t ion . Advertisements f o r the pos i t ion w i l l be published shor t ly .

The Service i s a l s o d iscuss ing with the Trust and the Arboretum Association a programme f o r the computerisation of records. Funding of t h i s programme w i l l be considered i n the Se rv ic~e ' s 1987/88 budget."

M r . Ca r r ' s reply doesn ' t augur well f o r those of us who a r e keen t o support promotion of the f e rn area. One of the contentions made i n John Wrigley's r epor t i n 1985 was t h a t the resources ava i l ab le t o the Burrendong Arboretum should be devoted t o growing p l a n t s indigenous t o the Central Western p a r t of NSW. This of course i s d i r e c t l y i n con t ras t t o the evidence t h a t p l a n t s f:rom every S t a t e i n Aust ra l ia have been successful ly grown a t Burrendong and -he na t iona l s igni f icance of work a t the Arboretum i n saving and c u l t i v a t i n g valuable p l a n t s t h a t would otherwise be facing ex t inc t ion .

More than n inety d i f f e r e n t species of Austral ian ferns have been es tab l i shed a t Burrendong i n the 1/3rd acre shade area . Thanks l a rge ly t o the fo res igh t and work of Peter Althofer , Burrendong probably i s already the &st place t o view the widest range of our na t ive ferns under cu l t iva t ion . Recently work has been completed on an impressive s t e e l s t r u c t u r e which i s t o support a f u r t h e r one ac re of shade area, A t the time of wr i t ing work was proceeding t o cover the new sec t ion with brush, landscaping on both s ides of the stream t h a t runs through the area was well advanced and a number of f e rns have already been planted.

Many S.G.A.P. members have a s s i s t e d the cu r ren t developn~ent add these included severa l from the Fern Study Group. A t the r i s k of offending o thers who have made notable cont r ibut ions t o the current development, a s p e c i a l t r i b u t e i s paid t o Roy and Bea Duncan who have made four t r i p s from Newcastle ( j u s t on 500 km away) i n recent months and spent seve ra l days on the p r o j e c t each v i s i t .

There i s much more work t o be done both i n p lan t ing a d car ing f o r f e rns already es tabl i shed. Volunteer labour i s required and our Group plan1 a working bee a t the Arboretuz on 7th and 8th Novembex 1987. A la rge number of f e rns a r e needed f o r the extens ive shaded ground now becoming avai lable . Members w i l l i n g t d donate f e rns could contact Pe te r Althofer a t Burrendong (068) 467454 before the end of November o r advise Moreen (02) 528 4881.

HELD FOR AN OVERSEAS VISITOR

Irene Cullen has passed an a le t te r addressed t o t h e Fern St* Group care of S.G.A.P. Qld. f r m Prof. Dennis K. Walker, Professor of Botany a t Hmbldt State University, California.

Prof. Walker is planning to v is i t Australia as part of sabbatical leave in the Western Pacific F4qia -1 tmards the end of this year. H e is searching for plants that are significant t o this area of instructicm a t the Lhiversity and his le t te r asked for assistanae. Prof. Walker's letter listed 28 genera of ferns and fern all ies and then stated:

"What I hope t o gain from t h i s l e t t e r t o you i s more s p e c i f i c advice on the loca t ions of expendable 'plants , and suggest ions f o r t h e i r successful cu l t iva t ion . Perhaps you a r e acquainted with loba l f i e l d bo tan i s t s who can

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f ind Anogramma i n Western Aus t ra l i a , o r Leptopte=is i n New South Wales, or Phvlloslossum i n Tasmania. o r Helminthostachvs and Marat t ia i n the f a r north

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of Queensland. I f so , I would c e r t a i n l y apprecipte your introducing me t o those individuals .

I a m assuming t h a t your organisa t ion i s i n a pos i t ion t o arrange contact between people with a common i n t e r e s t i n the wild Austra l ian f e r n s , and t h e i r propagation"

Althoqh we wora about the Professor's reference t o "expendable plants", w have replied indicating that m would try to h d p a d if - s W wndd sqgest h r s in districts that he i n ~ r l d d visiting. fndividUal mmkm may be m-tacted by the Professor. A q of the Professor's let- x as £om arded to Ehe N a t i o n a l Heharim and the D i m r has w r i t t e n to the Professor offering assistance.

Our former Leader Phyll Brcwn has offered her house a t -dell Park for sale. Apart £m having argu&ly the b e s t fern garden in Sy- t h ~ E a m t e buyer w i l l get a 2+ bedsoan h a , bamqe, dLning, kitchen, sun r m in h d 2 t e md i t ion . me garder, is equip@ d i t h an autmatic sprinkler s y s t m . Prospecti= bqelrs should cmtact %. Hmccck 705 64U (h) or 771 3065 (81,

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TXMANIAN W R WITH THE FERN SOCEI~! OE' VICTORIA

(Cmkued fran June 19 87 Nw slet ter) .- Cantrib uted by Ray Best

Next day we were m o u r w a y t o Habark thro@~ Gommstca and Linda, m s b g the King River. mdl driver -8 itk his d q sense of h m , ramrked that w e had all heard. of the p13 jr ith no beer, But hadve seen a pb xith a tcpless bar and a tcpless 1aq-w; thm them it T as beside the highzy w i t h no roof at a l l . Wvjng t h q h Victoria Pass ve began to c- first crcssinq tke A h a River then the Frrmklb and acms the upper aches of &eEement, 3:- the rmd War& bk. F w 3 s ~ e had lunch near Lake St. Clare. Here dere a nmber of w a l k v l g txsc'm that M almost becare .~.ater cmmes; so after a l i t t l e frustrating salking looking for fems s e returned t o the mch t o proceed m our w a . past W e King Willim t h a q l n to Bronte, $here an art i f ic ial w h i t e nrater ram had been c m w , that could be mtmlled in arwmts of w a t e r £la4 #hen. -red. P d d i n g great sport for canoeists and i i f l a t e d b oat enthusiasts, Tkis YJ akr carre frm a high level d m W q h a pw er stat im. This is the mthod used in Tasmania togenerate a great deal of hydro electri&.ky w i t h o u t q s e t t i n g the ~ a t e r f lw in the rivers or any N astage of w ater. Rdo Standaloft provided us -M ith aJ.l t.he details f ran his remark& l e encyclopaedic nmory, Thus p e r is p & d cheqly and w ithout pollutim; it certainly has a lot go* for it. &I our w a y to Tanaleah we passed sewer. lakes to yet another p e r stdtim at T a r a l e a h itself, Crossing and recrossing the Nive fiver at Wqathah w i t h yet mother p e r station, N w . t river to c m ~ s w as the D e then cn to the W e SET, pssj329 OVET the Ouse thmqh I a m y to EIami1ta-1 and m t n a a-d finally c m s h g the Dement at Nw Norfolk, w h e r e hops are g m n extmsively. Through C l a r a m t past Ca&ury S d w e p p s factory to Glaorchy and then to H b a r t .

After an entertaining run around thew atefrmt w e spent sarne tjxe i n H & a r t i t se l f . Then cross- the T m B r i d g e , w e made o u r w q to "?he P h s " m S e m M i l e Beach; here the accadat ianwas excellent and the s e M c e of mthatal standard. This became our base for the next three nights.

Next morning w e l e f t the pines for Mt . Wellingtm as w e approached the Wuntain clouds covered the sumnit so our chances of getting to the top looked slim. S w i n g a t Fern Tree u e did a l i t t l e fern searching m a s a w h a t slop^ track. Fortmately the clouds l if ted off the mount. So w e w ere able to pass tkroqh the snw gates making our w ay t o the very top. Sno w as present in dr i f ts and our travellers enjoyed handling it a few perhaps for the f i r s t time. Overlaking HdD art the vim is breathtaking. The vhole city with mt of the s ~ u b s and the estuary of the Dement can be clearly &I served. S m alpine fern searching cmtinued. Dcwn the mountain again and .PI e headed fro Port Ar thur t o viw the ruins of the early prism settlement. Over the Dement again t o Sorrel herewe paused t o inspect the tam; including historic St. Mathw s Church to viw me of the most a r t i s t ic leadlightedwindms I have ever seen.

Then m to Dunally w he= we crossed t o the Forrester peninsula; dwn to Eagleha k neckwhere many a t w e d escapes £ran the convict prismwere frustrated. Proceeding to Taranna and m to Port Arthur m the T a s m Peninsula to enjoy a close inspectim of the historic ruins of the convict gaol and church,etc. and m to markzble cave and its unusual formatim reserb ling the map of Tasmania. Later enjoying an excellent open air lunch thanks again to our coak Judith, a s s i s a here by our coach driver l3cb Standaloft m the b aheque. QI the retum jaumey w e crossed the bridge at N w Norfolk a d diverted t o Bush Park t o a ccxhinatim shop, farm and menagery caw orchard. Here w i t h the assistance of the w ner we were a le t o feed and view a nuher of unique Tasmanian Devils. He l i f ted a tame me out of the cage for the &ers to photograph. HoE5ng a chocolate ice cream cme for it to eat ghile pho tqrqhy canthuedx as qu i t e an qeence. P-ey are b 0th ugly and very savage.

Next day we m a d e for Strathgordm out through NW Norfolk t o Plenty and up t o the munt Field Natimal Park for Lunch and a look around, This natimal park das outstanding w i t h many mature tree ferns, surrounded by huge myrtle beech trees and Eucalyptus regnans thewm3dfs tallest ha&ood dlmg with king b i l l y and p n d l pines. Even t 2 ~ Wack leading to the beautiful Lady B m Falls w as -gel1 laid and paved often .M i t h k e e fan tnmks. Edges festoand a i t h filmy ferns , mosses, etc. H e r e me m d e r found what she cansidered t o b e a Cyathea Australis (Alsophila australis). As all the tree ferns I had d e d so far had Seen "Man Ferns" (Dicksmia antarticas) I cmcluded she had made a mistake; so plunging my fingers dmn h t u the c m n I caw u p - ~ i t h a handful of hairs so I assumed i t x a s a "Man Fern'" 1 w a s invi- to take a secmd L m k a t the fiddle heads and sure maugh there w e r e the shiny b m n scales vithout setae of Cyathea austraJis shich indeed it was. The hairs f i r s t removed had fallen £ran the taller Dicksonia (nature i tself can be deceptive a t times).

After lunch se rrmved on throqh Madena and almg the mx%n River road past Lake Gordm t o Strathqmdm making our w q dwn the the Serpentine Dam. The original Lake Pedderwas just a small lake an the Serpentine River (see early maps). Hcwever since the constructim of the date the present Lake Pedder has a greater surface acreage than Sydney H&our; f i l l ing the Serpentine Valley. After a good loak a t the lake, a fu difficult tracks vere negotiated lookmg for a 2w utligue ferns (Gramitis vestigeianaj ? and ~ ~ l l u m marginaturn, 1 m - h t m d S 0th were7 ere located. After lmchxe returned to H b a r t and the "'Die P h e s " .

Next mming we visited Westlands Nursery dhere our guide Michael Garrett had fu l l managmt of the fem progagatim sectian. This w as indeed a credit t o his tbmqhness fm prothallis to mature s p ~ S i n g s of marry wies a l l u e r e in t ip tcp ocalditim. fi-1 mly uses spores frcm his w n mature £ems; all of which l d e d fresh and healthy; he a w e r e d all the questims (md there dere many)

w i t h good hmmu and a mass of infomatian.

Tnis being the l a s t day of our t r ip s e se t out for Devmprt to Cross h ~ h the centre of Tasmania m the Midland High ay. After saying -ye to M i b l vho had worked so hard to make our tour such a s mderful success. (31 this return journey we passed through mu& of the pastoral countrysidewith sheep wheat and catt le statims. Looking perhaps a t r i f l e dry, dhich I understand is m d for Tasmania, as the rainfall M as 1w er than usual. W e mwed off the FTighv ay t o visit the historic twn of Ross for our lunch in the local park. This tmn has changed little since the early settlement. Treasuring its unique cmvict hluilt s tme bridge and 1-e civic buildings. Truly a lovely tmn more English than England. A l l our ccmpany were impressed by the - t ~ ay i n w hi& the local authori-ties h m maintained this historic area.

me feature that is general across the entire rural land, is the many s m a l l churches, sare brick, sane stone, most w eathehoard, a l l freshly painted ~ i t h pleasant dell kept s m u n d s and & viously & a t 4 M i t h loving care by the rural cmunit ies . Pcssibly providing the basis for the mral principles that helps t o W e for a healthy famLLy oriented hard ao&g mmmity for which Tasmania can be justly proud.

I am sure our b usload of visitors cam to Tasmania not cmly b ecause of their c<rranan interest in ferns, but also w i t h a desire t o be t te r hderstand the people and the beauty of the countryside. So an t o Dewnport and "'lhe & e l Tasman" to treasure m r i e s of a remark& l e holiday.

!W3?WIA FERN LIST COVERED CN TRIP

FERNS DETAILS AND IXCATIWS

Alsophila a u s t r a l i a R. B r . ~ t . F i e l d ~ a t i o n a l Park (Cyathea a u s t r a l i s ( R.Br . ) Domin . )

Apeteropteris applanta Gray & Williams Not found b$ members. Reported and found (Related t o Apeteropteris mal ingi i ) by Michael d a r r e t t on the eas te rn sLLopes

of King wil i iam Ra.

Asplenium bulbiferum F o r s t . F. Detention River and f o r e s t t r ack

Aspleniurn f laccidum Fores t F. M t . F i e l d at. Park and Hellyer Gorge

Asplenium f l a b e l l i f o l i u m Cav. M t . F i e l d at. Park

Asplenium obtusatum Fores t F . Por t Arthur Coast and Remarkable Cave.

Asplenium t e r r e s t r e X Bulbiferum Brownsey Fores t rack

Asplenium trichomanes L. Lady Barron F a l l s

Blechnum f l u v a t i l e ( R . B r . ) Salom - M t . F i e l d N g t . Park and Hellyer Riv. I

Blechnum indicum Burm F . Detention River and Fores t t rack '

Blechnum minus (R.Br . ) Ett ingsh. Fores t t r ack and General

Blechnum nudum (Lab i l l ) Mett. Farm t rack pueenstown and General

Blechnum w a t t s i i Tinsdale Fores t t r a c k and Detention River. General

Blechnum penna marina (Poi r ) Kuhn Cradle Mounttain National Park

Blechnum p a t e r s o n i i (R .Br . ) Mett. M t . F i e l d at. Park and Detention River

Ctenopteris heterophy l l a (Lab i l l ) Tinsale. Hellyer Gorge and M t . F i e l d (Gipsey Fern) National P q k

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Dicksonia a n t a r c t i c a Lab i l l . General i n temperate Rain Fores t s Hellyer River, M t . F i e l d Nat. Park

Gleichenia a lp ina R. B r . (Alpine Coral) Cradle M t . h a t . Park, Mount Wellington

Gleichenia abscida R. Br.(Dwarf Coral) Cradle M t . Nat. Park, Mount Wellington I

Gleichenia microphylla R. B r . Track ou t of Queenstown

Gleichenia dicarpa R. B r . Detention River & Fores t t r ack Queenstown

(Pouched Coral Fern)

G r a m m i t i s b i l l a r d i e r i Endlicher Mount ~ i e l d National Park

G r a m m i t i s ves t ig iana ? Serpentine Dam

Poss ( G r a m m i t i s armstrongii Tinsdale) Lake Pedde$.

H i s t i o p t e r i s i n c i s a (Thunb) John Smith Detention River Track Fores t

Hymenophyllum cupressiforme Lab i l l . Mount F i e l d National Park

Hymenophyllum rarum R. B r . Mount ~ i e l d Track

Hymenophyllum marginatum Hook e t Grev. Serpentine Dam Track

Hymenophyllum f label la tum Lab i l l Mount F i e l d National Park

Hymenophyllum peltatum (Poir ) Desv. Barron F a l l s Track

Hymenophyllum a u s t r a l e Willd. Hellyer River

(Austral Filmy Fern)

Pneumatopteris pennigera (Fors t . F .) Fores t t r a c k

Holttum (Lime Fern)

Polystichun prol iferum (R. B r . ) P res l . General Temperate Rain Fores t Detention Riv. & Flt. F i e l d N.P.

St icherous lobatus Wakefield Arthur River

St icherous t ene r (R. B r . ) Ching Arthur River

St icherous f l a b e l l a t u s (R. B r . ) S t . John Mount F i e l d National Park

Tmesipteris b i l l i a r d i e r i , Endlicher Mount F i e l d & Hellyer Gorge

Tmesipteris lanceola ta Dangeard Mount F i e l d National Park

Tmesipteris elongata Dangeard Mourht F i e l d National Park

Tmesipteris ovata N.A. Wakefield Mount F i e l d National Park

Todea barbara (L.) T. Moore Arthur River

NOT INTENED TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF TASMANIAN FERNS BUT ONLY THOSE ECOGNISED ON THE TOUR R.B.

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NEWS OE' S Y IXEY GET-TOGETHERS

REPOm ON OUTING TO FAIRY FALLS 24th MAY 1987

It was a f i n e sunny day a t ~ o r t h Lawson i n the Blue Mountains and 23 a d u l t s accompanied by 6 chi ldren attended.

After gathering a t the p leasan t p i c n i c a rea we descended t h e s h o r t d i s t ance t o the small but a t t r a c t i v e Fa i ry F a l l s . Noteworthy on the way were t h e long banks of Gleichenia microphylla, d is t inguishable from G. dicarpa because of i t s f l a t t e r pinnules and the 3 t o 5 sporangia although few f e r t i l e fron~ds could be found. Although abundant, much l e s s not iceable was Se lag ine l l a u l ig inosa growing i n seepage by the s i d e of the path.

A t t he F a l l s and alonq the s h o r t d is tance t h a t we walkled p a s t t h e r e , Todea - - barbara dominated. There were a l s o considerable s tands of :Blechnum w a t t s i i (procerum) , an occasional B. minus and another Blechnum tha.t was genera l ly thought t o be B. ambigu;lun. This l a s t named species had a s h o r t creeping rhizome and pinnae with b lun t rounded apices and f e r t i l e pinnae only s l . igh t ly l e s s than ha l f a s wide. The fronds were not noticeably p a l e r than the surxounding B. w a t t s i i and Ray Best was not q u i t e c e r t a i n t h a t the re had not been :some hybr id isa t ion .

Les Taylor t o l d us t o "see da wa t t l e" (Acacia e l a t a ) but redeemed himself by then point ing out Lycopodium cernuum growing near by.

After r e t r ac ing our s t eps some dis tance we turned down a f i i r l y s t eep i n c l i n e t o Dantes Glen. On the way most stopped t o admire the da in ty Lindsaea microphylla. More obvious was Culc i t a dubia and Blechnum cartilagineum.

A t t he bottom i n a n a t u r a l amphitheatre we gazed a t t h e beauty of our surroundings. Water cascaded down the high c l i f f face and banks of f e rns imd o the r lush green p l a n t s covered the rock walls . Among the moss covered rocks our a t t e n t i o n was drawn t o t i n y filmy fe rns including Hymenophy llum cupress i f orme. Elsewhere the re were Grammitis b i l l a r d i e r i and Pyrros ia r u p e s t r i s . However t h e f ea tu re here was t h e countless number of Blechnum p a t e r s o n i i , most with simple bu t some with lobed fronds, many t i n y p l a n t s and o thers whith harsh fronds up t o 65 cm long. Two ferns with s o f t t h i n fronds were i d e n t i f i e d a s Adiantum diaphanum and Leptopteris f r a z e r i .

S t icherus f l a b e l l a t u s grew i n severa l a reas and much more Todea barbara but only a few Blechnum nudum were located.

A l l managed t h e climb back up t h e s t e p s with reasonable ease a n d our ga ther ing concluded a f t e r a l e i s u r e l y lunch around t h e p i c n i c t ab les .

DEADLINE FOR COPY: we would welcome a r t i c l e s from our members f o r our newsle t ter . I f you have h i n t s o r have been a successful fern grower and progagator, share your knowledge with us by sending your ideas and methods, o r you may have been on an outing t o a fern glade t h a t would be of i n t e r e s t . Any i n q u i r i e s connected the the next i s sue can be made t o the Secretary 'phone 528 4881. Eeadlini f o r the copy fo r the December Newsletter i s 15th November 1987.

REPOm ON MEETING 21s t JUNE 1987

Fosina Buch hosted our June meeting a t her home i n Epping. There were 26 members present and a l l admired Fbsina 's l a rge c o l l e c t i o n of f e rns t a s t e f u l l y arranged, many i n beds supported by rock walls b e a u t i f u l l y constructed.

The main study was of the Family Athyriaceae occur i n Aust ra l ia , t hese a r e : Diplazium with 9 species i n Aus t ra l i a , and C a l l i p t e r i s , Allantodea, Lumathyrium and Cystopteris each with 1 specie i n Aust ra l ia .

Cystopteris i s the only one of these t h a t i s no t i n s t a n t l y recognizable a s belonging i n the Athyriaceae and has been sub jec t of much research and controversy. Its rounded t o reniform indusia con t ras t s sharply with l i n e a r indusia and herringbone p a t t e r n associa ted with the r e s t of our genera i n t h i s family. However Cystepter is i s n o t s o very d i f f e r e n t i n these c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s from the Athyrium genera which a r e not found i n Aust ra l ia .

The r e s t of the genera represented i n Aus t ra l i a a r e a s follows: Lunathyrium japonicum. Eas i ly recognizable by its small s t a t u r e , fronds usual ly l e s s than 30 cm long and i t s long creeping rhizome. The lamina i s pinnate t o p innat ised , the veins a r e f r e e s i n g l e o r forked and 4 t o 6 p e r pinnule. The s o r i i s l i n e a r occupying the middle por t ion of the vein. Synonyms: Athyrium japonicum

C a l l i p t e r i s p r o l i f e r a : A robust t u f t e d p l a n t o f t en more than l m . t a l l , fronds held more o r l e s s e r e c t a t f i r s t . The lamina i s pinnate and t h e rhachis i s commonly p ro l i f e rous i n the upper a x i l s . The v e i n l e t s u n i t e i n pairs usual ly with an excurrent v e i n l e t a t the p o i n t of fusion, s o r i eventual ly occupy the whole of a l l t h e ve in le t s . Synonyms : Athyrium accedens

Diplazium has n ine spec ies i n Aus t ra l i a t o and most have the appearance of a young t r e e f e rn o f t en with a well developed e r e c t rhizome forming a trunk 30 t o 60 cm

and r a r e l y t o l m t a l l . The lamina vary from simple t o t r i p i n n a t i f i d . Veins a r e f r e e and r a t h e r prominent with s o r i borne along the lower por t ion of the minor vein o r i t s uppermost branch. Synonyms : Athyrium species

Allantodea a u s t r a l e . This seemed much harder t o def ine ; it matches Diplazium i n most of i ts c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . A t t he meeting it was observed t h a t the sorus i s frequently e rescen t shaped by it s t a r t i n g on a main v e i n l e t and following along a branching v e i n l e t . This condit ion may n o t be unique t o Allantodea. Synonyms: Athyrium a u s t r a l e , Diplazium a u s t r a l e

During our s tudy the re was much confusion over what i s a double indusium. Ray Best drew one showing an indusium with marginal attachment t o the frond and I drew one c e n t r a l l y at tached. I s t i l l d o n ' t know which i f no t both i s re fe r red t o a s a double indusium. A t h i r d case mentioned by Betty Rymer was of a f a l s e indusium rol long over a r e a l one on the l ea f margin a s i n P t e r i s . Could t h i s a l s o be c a l l e d a double indusium?

Highlight of the day f o r most members was Ray Best ' s s h o r t d iscuss ion on spore. Ray brought t o the meeting ca re fu l ly made models of various spore made t o sca le bu t enlarged t o approximately 1" diameter. This enabled t h e spore models t o k e a s i l y handled and most importantly allowed t he otherwise microscopic detail of spore shape t o be c l e a r l y seen.

Thank you Ray. W e hope t h a t you w i l l repeat the demonstration a t another meeting soon.

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REPOKT ON OUTING TO WARATAH P A X 26th JULY 1987

Eleven p a r t i c i p a t e d i n our Ju ly outing on a p e r f e c t sunny day t o t h i s d e l i g h t f u l spo t j u s t west of Bi lp in i n the Blue Mountains on the Be l l s Line of Road.

From the p i c n i c a rea the pa th winds down t o a gorge through open f o r e s t on s o i l derived from shales . Numerous peppermint gums, s t r i n g y barks, tu rpen t ine , pea flowers, proteaceous p l a n t s and orchids were admired. But most spectacular on the day was Tetratheca sp. i n abundance and flowering profuse ly .

findsaea microphylla w a s first f e rn s igh ted , C u l c i t ~ dubia was soon widespread together with Pteridium esculentum. Noted was a patch of Dicksonia a n t a r c t i c a poss ib ly planted during the period S.G.A.P. was a c t i v e l y involved i n care of the Park inspi red by t h e l a t e Frank Stone.

I n the qorge the walk i s alongside a south fac ing rock wall with f e r n s t h e - -

dominant vegetat ion. Time was spent over Grammitis meridionalis i t s fronds a r e genera l ly s h o r t e r than on G. b i l l a r d i e r i and unlike the l a t t e r has only a few h a i r s on the s t i p e . With such small ferns the d i f f i c u l t y was see ing the s t i p e s . Asplenium f l a b e l l i f o l i m grew i n rock crevices but f a r mcre prominent here was Blechnm ambiguum. Fur ther along the path away from the rock wall was another q u i t e s imi la r f e rn B. w a t t s i i .

Many Lywpodium laterale grew high above our heads along crevices i n the rock wall including one very f i n e specimen resembling a l a rge ~ u e e n s l a n d t a s s e l 1 f e rn . Our Leader drew a t t e n t i o n t o two o the r f e rn a d d i t i e s Schizaea rupestris one clump forming a la rge shawl, and Rnesip ter is t runca ta with a pa tch growing across t h e base of an aged Todea barbara.

A s we proceeded f u r t h e r towards t h e head of the gorge Cyathea a u s t r a l i s over 12 m t a l l towered above and we soon entered ra in fo res t . Leptopteris f r a s e r i was f i r s t s ighted c l inging t o a rock crevice but soon a f t e r we came t o a l a rge group - -

of these s o f t f i n e l y fronded fe rns ranging from young p l a n t s a few centimetreg t a l l t o some up t o 1.5m t a l l with prominent t runks.

In the gorge away from sunshine it was extremely cold bu t t o compensate somewhat we were en te r t a ined by a b r i l l i a n t d i sp lay of mimicry by a s t i l l e lus ive Lyrebird. There were many f e r n s t o admire including l a rge stands of Blechnm cartilaginem, B. p a t e r s o n i i , B. nudum, two Gleichenia, G. rupestris d i s ~ i n q u i s h e d by the glabrous rhach i s i s and f l a t pinnules, and the more common G. d icaroa .

There were two St icherus i d e n t i f i e d with S. t e n e r d is t inguished by i ts e n t i r e pinnule margins and pimules at 45' t o 60° angles t o the rhachis , the more prominent. It was noted t h a t pinnules on S. f l a b e l l a t u s u l t imate branches w e r e s e r r a t e and a t an angle of 45" t o the rhachis .

The path crosses the creek and recrosses it beside a picturesque pool beneath a wa te r fa l l . On rocks only a metre a p a r t Pe te r showed us fillmy fe rns Hyrnenophyllum a u s t r a l e with broad wing on both s t i p e and rhachis and lamina u l t imate segments with e n t i r e margins and H. cupressiforme with f i n e wiry s t i p e and lamina u l t imate segments coarsely s e r r a t e . Also on the rocks and more prominent on nearby t r e e trunks was Pvrros ia r u ~ e s t r i s .

After r e t r ac ing our s t eps and e a t i n g lunch members made quick inspect ion of a c leared area adjacent t o the p i c n i c t a b l e s and s ighted several1 Waratahs with buds j u s t forming, before concluding the outing.

* * * * * * MEETING : SATU RDAY 31 OCTOBER 1987

A t the request of a number of members who have been unable t o a t t end Sunday meetings, on t h i s occasion we meet on a Saturday. The study w i l l be t h e genus Dicksonia and i t s d i f fe rences from Cyathea.

The venue i s Pa t Kenyon and Ted Newman's home a t 1057 Old Northern Wad, Dural. Enter property from p r i v a t e road on r i g h t hand s i d e exact ly 2 km from Dural Post Office. The l a s t s t r e e t passed on the l e f t i s Wyoming mad. The tu rn t o the p r i v a t e road from Old Northern Road i s near a c r e s t and on a bend and it i s p re fe rab le t o continue along Old Northern Road f o r a s h o r t d is tance p a s t the en t race t o the p r i v a t e road where the re i s m p l y room f o r turning. This turning a rea i s d i r e c t l y beneath power transmission l i n e s .

A f t e r en te r ing the p r i v a t e road proceed approximately 650m. t o t h e end. Arrive from 12 noon, meeting t o commence sharp at 1.30 p.m. Bring afternoon t e a and lunch i f intending t o e a t there . I f you wish t o explore the property come with a p a i r of s turdy shoes. Any enquir ies about d i r e c t i o n s phone our hos t s on 651.2765. The UBD Map 22nd Edit ion reference i s 113 K/L 2/3.

CUTING : SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 1987

A v i s i t t o the ferny area a t Dharug National Park. Located 85 km north-west o f Sydney the park may be reached v i a Cas t le H i l l on the Old Northern mad through Wisemans Ferry . Meet a t 10 a.m. a t the M i l l Creek camping area appoximately 2.5 km off the W i s e m a n ' s Fer ry - Spencer Road a t M i l l Creek. Lunch a t ca r s .

MEETING CHRISTMAS FUNCTION : SUNDAY 6 IXCEMBER 1987 - A b r i e f meeting followed- by our end of year get- together t o be held a t t h e home of Jenny Thompson, 2 Albion Place, Engadine. Any enqu i r i e s f o r d i r e c t i o n phone 520 5039.

NEWS CF SOUTH EASTEFN QUEENSLAND GET TOGETHERS

FRIDAY l l t h SEPTEMBER: A l l members - r a l l y around C l i f f Ritchie a t Kelvin Grove High School t o set up Fern skudy Display f o r S.G.A.P.

SUNDAY l l t h OCTOBER: Excursion White Swamp a rea - v i a Boonah. Meet 8.30 a.m. a t Park i n Boonah. Any persons in tending going must contac t P. Bostock 202 6983 o r I rene Cullen 341 4272.

SUNDAY 8 th NOVEMBER: Christmas break-up - 9.30 a.in. a t Graham Nosworthy's proper ty 609 Grandview Road Pul lenvale . Everyone bring lunch and a f e r n f o r a f e r n exchange. Also i d e s f o r 1988 programme.

And an i n t e r e s t i n g observation: This i t e m arose from S.E. Qld. s tudy of Davalliaceae May 87.

1 Davallia denticulata To he lp i d e n t i f i c a t i o n observe t h e underside of frond

i n r e f l e c t e d light - obscure f a l s e veins can be mor$ e a r i l y seen by t h i s method.

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NEW FERNS AND NEW NAMES

A l i s t of r ecen t new recores and new species of f e r n s from Aus t ra l i a preapred and contr ibuted by Pe te r Bostock w i l l be published n our next Newsletter. f

TmE FEFNS FROM LORD HGW ISLAND

A member with a t r e e f e rn c o l l e c t i o n i s seekinp p l a n t s o f :

Cyathea brevipinna I

Cyathea howeana - If you have p l a n t s which you a r e w i l l i n g t o s e l l p lease contac t e i t h e r our

Leader or Secretary. A donation of spore of these f e r n s t o our Spore Bank would be most grateful- ly received.

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FED CAWET

A warm welcome i s extended t o t h e following recent new members: