Biology Genus Morphology Dicksonia antarctica - Soft Tree Fern (also known as the Tasmanian Tree Fern or manfern) Dicksonia antarctica is a majestic, evergreen plant. It is one of the most popular tree ferns grown as a foliage plant in the world as it is so adaptable and versatile. Plants have a thick fibrous trunk, topped by an umbrella of many spreading dark green fronds. It has a wide climatic tolerance, growing naturally in Australia from the snowy regions of the South to Southern Queensland. This tree fern prefers to be planted in a position with shade or part shade and protection from hot, drying winds. The Dicksonia antarctica is an excellent fern as a feature plant or as a backdrop for other plants. It also makes an ideal tub plant as it will grow for many years in the same tub. A unique feature of the Dicksonia antarctica is the trunk. It can be cut anywhere along it's length above soil level, and the fern will reliably regrow.  The harvested tree fern is resistant to physical damage and can withstand long periods of storage in nurseries or shipping containers. The fronds are removed for transport, but quickly re-emerge within six weeks and can produce up to 60 fronds in a season. The ability of Dicksonia antarctica to create the instant garden is the feature that makes this tree fern so popular in the nursery and landscaping industry.	Biology of Species Back to top Classification: Division – Pteridophyta Class – Pteropsida (also known as Filicopsida) Order – Filicales Family – Dicksoniaceae Genera – Dicksonia       Species – antarctica (Duncan, B.D. and Isaac, G., Ferns and allied plants of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, Melbourne University Press, 1986 pg 9)
Dicksonia Tree Ferns Back to top The genus, Dicksonia, was named by L’Heritier after the Scottish botanist with a passion for non-flowering plants, James Dickson.  There are around twenty species of the genus Dicksonia around the world.  There are six species of Dicksonia in Australasia, with two in Australia and four in New Zealand.  The Australian species are Dicksonia antarctica from the south-east coast of Australia and Dicksonia youngiae from Queensland.  The New Zealand species are Dicksonia squarrosa, Dicksonia fibrosa and Dicksonia lanata.  A fourth species in New Zealand, Dicksonia hispida has now been formally recognised as a different species to Dicksonia lanata.
Morphology Back to top GENERAL APPEARANCE:  Dicksonia antarctica is a tree fern with a stout, sometimes curved, trunk up to 5x0.7m, covered by masses of brown, aerial roots.  The fronds, forming a dense crown at the trunk apex, are lanceolate, to 3x1m. FRONDS:  Tripinnate.  Fertile and sterile pinnules dissimilar.  Sterile pinnules sessile, oblong to 8x4 mm, glabrous or with a few crooked hairs along midvein of lower surface; margins toothed.  Fertile pinnules of similar dimensions but with markedly recurved margins.  Rhachises brown to green, those on upper parts of frond with thin line of hairs.  Stipe glabrous but covered with a mat of fine, glossy, copper-coloured hairs at the base, persistent bases fragile and apparent only on the upper trunk.  SORI:     Spherical, about 1 mm dia., marginal, initially protected by a recurved marginal flap which joins to a cupped indusium.  Sporangia brown (Gullen and Walsh 1985).
DISTRIBUTION:     Dicksonia antarctica is found in montane forest, subalpine riparian scrub, cool temperate rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest and in radiata pine plantations. Gullan, P. and Walsh, N., 1985, Ferns and Fern Allies of the Upper Yarra Valley & Dandenong Ranges, National Herbarium of Victoria, Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands. Further reading