Blechnum novae-zelandiae, New Zealand fern species resembling a palm leaf
Blechnum discolor | Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen | Novae | the fern ''Blechnum | Blechnum novae-zelandiae |
Under the long-held view that the New Zealand flora has a Gondwanan element that has survived there at least since the Cretaceous, the presence of B. novae-zelandiae in New Zealand can be adequately explained by vicariance.
D. novae-zelandiae is found in the alpine and subalpine regions of New Zealand and Tasmania while D. fascicularis is native to similar habitats in southern South America to latitude 40°S.