Cranfillia geniculata

Cranfillia geniculata, synonym Blechnum geniculatum, is a fern in the family Blechnaceae. The specific epithet refers to the geniculate base of the sterile fronds.

Description

The plant is a terrestrial or lithophytic fern. The creeping rhizome has dense apical scales. Its fronds are 10–25 cm long and 7–15 cm wide.

Distribution and habitat

The fern is endemic to Australia's subtropical Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. It grows on moist, shaded banks in cloud forest on the summits of Mounts Gower and Lidgbird, where it is rare.