About Pyrrosia eleagnifolia (Bory) Hovenkamp
Commonly known as leather-leaf fern, Pyrrosia eleagnifolia (Bory) Hovenkamp has thick, undivided rounded fronds that vary extremely in shape and size. Fronds can be long and thin up to 20 cm in length, or short and broad at 2 cm wide, rarely reaching 3 cm wide. Fronds grow from long creeping rhizomes. Sterile fronds are generally shorter and broader than fertile fronds. All fronds are thick and leathery, smooth, rounded with blunt ends. Their upper surface is dark green, while the underside is abundantly covered in light-brown, irregularly-branched hairs. P. eleagnifolia occurs throughout New Zealand, from the Kermadecs through Stewart Island to the Chatham Islands. This very adaptable and durable species can tolerate dry conditions, and grows either as an epiphyte on native or introduced trees, or on rocks, ranging from the coast to the mountains. It is less common in the south of New Zealand, especially in Central Otago.
