Zealandia pustulata (Kangaroo Paws Fern) on 9-3-09, #31-33.
Well, the scientific name changed AGAIN… From Zealandia pustulata to Lecanopteris pustulata. Didn’t I just change it last year and maybe the year before, or maybe the year before?
Kangaroo Paws Fern
Lecanopteris pustulata
(Lecanopteris pustulata subsp. pustulata)
SYN…
Zealandia pustulata
(Zealandia pustulata subsp. pustulata)
zee-LAN-dee-uh pus-tew-LAY-tuh
Synonyms of Zealandia pustulata (6) (Updated on 1-10-23 from Plants of the World Online:) Drynaria pustulata (G.Forst.) J.Sm. (1841), Microsorum pustulatum (G.Forst.) Copel. (1947), Phymatodes pustulata (G.Forst.) C.Presl (1836), Phymatosorus pustulatus (G.Forst.) M.F.Large, Braggins & P.S.Green (1992), Pleopeltis pustulata (G.Forst.) T.Moore (1857), Polypodium pustulatum G.Forst. (1786), Zealandia pustulata (G.Forst.) Testo & A.R.Field (2019)
Synonyms of Lecanopteris pustulata subsp. howensis (3) (Updated on 12-23-23 from POWO): Microsorum pustulatum subsp. howense (Tindale & P.S.Green) Bostock (1998), Phymatosorus pustulatus subsp. howensis Tindale & P.S.Green (1994), Zealandia pustulata subsp. howensis (Tindale & P.S.Green) Testo & A.R.Field (2019)
Synonyms of Lecanopteris pustulata subsp. pustulata (15) (Updated on 12-23-22 from POWO): Phymatodes billardierei C.Presl (1836) (nom. superfl.), Phymatodes diversifolia (Willd.) Pic.Serm. (1951), Chrysopteris billardierei Link (1841) (nom. superfl.), Chrysopteris lepidopoda Link (1841), Drynaria billardierei J.Sm. (1846), Microsorum diversifolium (Willd.) Copel. (1929), Phymatosorus diversifolius (Willd.) Pic.Serm. (1973), Pleopeltis billardierei (J.Sm.) T.Moore (1857) (nom. superfl.), Pleopeltis diversifolia (Willd.) Melvaine (1936), Pleopeltis lepidopoda T.Moore (1861), Polypodium billardierei R.Br. (1810) (nom. superfl.), Polypodium diversifolium Willd. (1810), Polypodium lepidopodum Link (1833), Polypodium scandens Labill. (1806) (sensu auct.), Polypodium scandens var. billardierei (J.Sm.) F.Muell. (1864)
Lecanopteris pustulata (G.Forst.) Perrie & Brownsey is NOW the accepted scientific name for this species. It was named and described as such by Leon R. Perrie and Patrick J. Brownsey in Blumea in 2021. It was first named Polypodium pustulatum by Johann Georg Forster in Florilae Insularum Australium Prodromus in 1786.
The genus, Lecanopteris Reinw., was named by Casper Georg Reinwardt in Flora in 1825…
Accepted Infraspecific Names (2) (Updated on 1-10-23 from Plants of the World Online): Lecanopteris pustulata subsp. howensis (Tindale & P.S.Green) Perrie & Brownsey, *Lecanopteris pustulata subsp. pustulata (autonym). *When an infraspecific taxon is named, an autonym (“type-specimen”) is automatically generated whose description is closest to the (original) species. The species, autonym, and subspecies have their own synonyms and common names. Lecanopteris pustulata subsp. pustulata is the Kangaroo Paws Fern.
As of 12-23-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 24 species in the Lecanopteris genus. It is a member of the plant family Polypodiaceae with 66 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
The name change is the result of a molecular phylogenetic study conducted in 2019 which suggested three clades close to Lecanopteris sensu stricto and distinct from other clades in the subfamily Microsoroideae. The authors in the study decided to make three additional monophyletic genera. It takes a while for name changes to be approved and go through all the hoops. I have changed the scientific name of the Kangaroo Paws Fern a MULTIPLE of times. Now I have to change the captions AGAIN! Do you think I should wait? Maybe the name will change again before the next update…
To read the whole write-up about the name change click on SESSA LAB (UPLOAD FROM SYSTEMATIC BOTANY). OH, that’s from 2019 when they changed the name to Zealandia pustulata… They were so sure, and I’m so confused! 🙂
THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.
Zealandia pustulata (Kangaroo Paw Fern) on 9-22-11, #80-12.
This is one of several plants Dr. Skinner bought before she passed on March 2009 while living at the mansion in Leland, Mississippi. The Kangaroo Paw Fern proved to be very easy to grow. The links below provide much information about the species and growing tips.
Zealandia pustulata (Kangaroo Paw Fern) in the west sunroom at the mansion in Mississippi on 10-24-11, #83-11.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Polypodiaceae.
Origin: New Zealand, Australia.
Zones: USDA Zones (° F) HMMM…
Size: 10-12” plus tall.
Light: Light to full shade.
Soil: Well-drained soil.
Water: Average. Soil should not dry out very long.
Zealandia pustulata (Kangaroo Paw Fern) on 8-12-12, #115-64.
The Kangaroo Paws Fern was a very easy fern to grow and I had absolutely no problems with it. Unfortunately, when I sold the mansion and moved back to the family farm in mid-Missouri in February 2013, I couldn’t take it with me. I left it with a good friend and fellow plant collector. Maybe someday I will purchase another.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.
Most of the links below list the Kangaroo Paws Fern as one species or another. It can be difficult to keep up with name changes, especially with this one. Dave’s Garden caught up with the last name change, Phymatosorus pistulatus, only to have it change AGAIN and AGAIN…
The Belmont Rooster 