Of the genus paraceterach, a terrestrail fern, there are 6 species of ferns, 2 of which are native to western Australia ; p. mulleri and p. reynoldsii, these species can be found in northen Western Australia. p.mulleri in bulls creek and p. reynoldsii east of the pilbara region. the other species of paraceterach are ; p.bipinnata, p.delavayi, p.vestita,
p.sargentii and p. marantae.
This image was taken from Australian National Botanic Gardens.
( http://www.anbg.gov.au/photo/apii/id/a/22805 )
Photographer: Fagg, M.
Taken at : near Chillagoe QLD
Australian Plant Image Index (APII)- Photo No. : a.22805 - See more at: http://fernswa.myspecies.info/content/paraceterach-muelleri-fern-taxa#st...
Both western Australian species of the genus paraceterach ; reynoldsii and mulleri are listed as non threatened.
The ferns belonging to the Pteridaceae family are either terrestrial perennial ferns or lithophyltic or aquatic/floating. They have creeping or erect rhizomes which can be either dictyostelic or solenostelic, all of which have scales on them. The stem is either erect or has an extensive creeping coverage.
The stem tissue can contain solenostele (phloem internal and external to xylem), a medullated protostele (protostele with non vascular tissue in core), or a dictyostele (network of vascular strands around pith). Circinnate veneration occurs on the fronds with fertile fronds growing up to 80 cm. They occur in clusters near rhizome apex, usually monomorphic (existing in one form) although they can be dimorphic ( two distinct forms) but rarely.
Clusters of sporangia (Sori) are linear to vein margin and tip, usually unprotected by indusium however the true indusium is rarely produced. The sori are found in grooves or in the rolled leaf margin on the underside of the fertile pinnae. Spore formation is tetrahedral, uniform or bilateral. Pinnate lamina, usually 1-4 pinnate-pinnatifid – when the leaflets are arranged on either side of the common stalk . The pinnate furcate or separate at the apex (apically) into a recurved (a backwards) rachises (main shaft). ( ABRS, 1998 )
the phylogenetic history of the paraceterach genus is as bellow; ( Taxonomicon 2014)
Kingdom- Plantae Haeckel,
Viridiplantae
Streptophyta
Embryophyta Endlicher,
Phylum------------- Tracheophyta Sinnott,
Subphylum Euphyllophytina
Infraphylum "Moniliformopses"
Class------------------------ Polypodiopsida Cronquist
Order--------------------------- Polypodiales
Family---------------------------- Pteridaceae
Subfamily------------------------- Cheilanthoideae
Genus------------------------------- Paraceterach
species-------------------------------- p. mulleri
-------------------------------- p. reynoldsii
this image shows the distribution of the paraceterach ferns in western australia
this image was sourced from Florabase
Paraeterach can be found up the north end of Western Australia in the Derby West Kimberley, Halls Creek and
Wyngha-East Kimberley. the paraceterach ferns can also be found east of the pilbara region, near Ashburton, and Ngaanyatjarraku.
This image was taken from Australian National Botanic Gardens.
( http://www.anbg.gov.au/photo/apii/id/fr/81 )
Photographer: Ollerenshaw, P.
Taken at : Near Copley SA
Australian Plant Image Index (APII)- Photo No. : fr.81
The habit where the ferns are found in can range from red loam to clayey sand,
in amongst rock crevices, rock ledges, amongst sandstone rocks in sheltered vine thickets and also in rocks amongst gullys. (A- Florabase , Spooner, 1997 & B - Florabase, spooner, 1997 )
currently the only known use of paraceterach is that p. reynoldsii can induce sleep when brushed over the eyelids,p.mulleri has no known use. (Rosemary Pedler)
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