Blechnum punctulatum

The frond in picture, its attempt at arching impeded by rock, is thought to belong to a Blechnum punctulatum plant. Its rhizome has befriended rocks where moisture is sure to have been the drawcard.

South Africa has four varieties of B. punctulatum ferns recognised by SANBI. Var. punctulatum, one of the two more common ones, has leaflet bases probably broader than seen here, and more tapering to acutely pointed leaflet tips. This must be one of the others. Blechnum ferns usually have stalkless or short-stalked leaflets, sometimes oblong with smooth-edged margins.

The species distribution is from the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal to the Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, as well as some neighbouring countries. Some of the varieties are only found in fewer provinces, particularly the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The habitat of these ferns that favour wet conditions is mainly shaded forest floors and streambanks. They grow larger in deep forest shade than when occurring in drier, open spots as some varieties do, often in rocky crevices. All the varieties have stable habitat populations, deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; iNaturalist; https://www.fernsofafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).