English: King fern.
Region: south eastern Australia, New Zealand, South Africa.
Habitat: alongside streams, in rainforest gullies, wet spots in tall open forest; occasionally in drier sites, in rock crevices, among sandstone, granite cliffs, rockfaces; temperate or subtropical climates; prefers moist acidic soil, shade or dappled shade; transplanted easily.
Ecology: increasingly rare.Use: ornamental, for gardens and natural landscaping.
BotanyFern; up to 3 metres tall.
Root: permineralized rhizome.
Stem: short stumpy base.
Leaves: up to 2.5 metres long.
Propagation: from spores
Sporangia: on laminar pinnules.