The Button fern, also known as the Round-leaved fern and the New Zealand cliff brake is endemic to New Zealand and seems to be quite a popular house plant.
It can tolerate quite low temperatures and apparently likes dry acidic soil – not typical preferences for your average fern.
The European name derives from it’s the button like arrangement of the leaflets. As you might guess, the Latin ‘Rotundifolia’ means ’round-leaved’.
Some sources say Pellaea derives from the Greek pellos meain dark leaf or stalk – yet to be confirmed.
Could be confused with the Creek fern which has similar fronds and leaflets.
Yo Bob! What’s with all the fern pics ‘n stuff?
Towards the end of 2019 I realised that despite a significant amount of time spent in New Zealand’s natural environments, my ability to identify NZ native flora was pretty poor. So I set out to get to know New Zealand native plants better, starting with our native ferns.
Since then, it’s been a veritable journey of discovery.
As an aid to memory and learning, I decided to photograph, research and post information on the ferns I encounter. I’ve got quite a back log of images to work through, hopefully this year I’ll have time to get some more post. Stay tuned!
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