Pteris vittata.
The Chinese Ladder Brake Fern is in Order Polypodiales > Family Pteridaceae.
An indiginous, evergreen fern, found in Queensland, it grows on soil, dead wood or rocks.
On the ground it is a low growing fern forming clumps with the fronds in a rosette.
On vertical surfaces the fronds are erect or drooping.
The short, creeping rhizome is covered with pale brown, papery scales up to 7 mm long.
The pale brown frond stems, up to 25 cm, have a grooved upper surface and the bases have hairs and scales.
The fronds are once divided and sterile and fertile ones are similar.
The lamina is up to 80 cm long with up to 40 pairs of closely spaced lateral leaves which may be opposite or alternate.
The dark green, linear lateral leaflets are up to 25 cm long and most are attached by a short stalk.
Their bases may overlap the midrib and the edges are finely toothed in sterile areas.
The lowest leaflets are only 2 to 5 cm long and the terminal leaflet is by far the longest.
The veins are simple or forked once and the midrib is prominent on the underside.
Sori are in continuous lines along the leaflet margins with a continuous indusium.
The spores are yellow.
J.F.
