Pteris cretica
| Pteris cretica | |
|---|---|
| |
| Pteris cretica var. albolineata | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Family: | Pteridaceae |
| Genus: | Pteris |
| Species: | P. cretica
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pteris cretica | |
Pteris cretica, the Cretan brake,[1] ribbon fern,[2] or Cretan brake fern, is a species of evergreen fern in the family Pteridaceae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa.
Description[edit]
The fern grows to 75 cm (30 in) tall by 60 cm (24 in) broad. It has arching pinnate fronds each bearing up to five pinnae.[3][4]
Taxonomy[edit]
According to Plants of the World Online there are 2 subspecies: Pteris cretica subsp. cretica[5] and Pteris cretica subsp. laeta (Wall. ex Ettingsh.)[6]
Distribution[edit]
Pteris cretica subsp. cretica is native in an area from the Mediterranean to tropical Asia, in Africa, in Madagascar and on the Atlantic islands. There are findings in Gran Canaria, Spain, France, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Italy (Lake Como and Lake Garda), Switzerland (Ticino on the shores of Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiore), Crimea, Greece (contrary to its name, Pteris cretica does not occur on Crete), Transcaucasia, Turkey, Lebanon-Syria. In Africa it is native in Yemen, Socotra, Algeria, Ethiopia, Angola, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Zaïre, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Madagascar. In Asia it occurs in Sri Lanka, India, Assam, Pakistan, Himalaya, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tibet, China (North-Central, South-Central, Southeast), Myanmar, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Nanshoto, Philippines, Ascension, Réunion.
Pteris cretica is a neophyte introduced into the USA distributed via Mexico, Central America and Caribbean Islands to Colombia and Peru, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, the Azores. It is a neophyte in Great Britain, Hungary and the Netherlands.[5]
The other subspecies Pteris cretica subsp. laeta is native in an area from East Turkey to tropical and subtropical Asia, the Indian subcontinent: Afghanistan, Assam, Cambodia, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Iran, Japan, Laos, Lesser Sunda Islands, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sulawesi, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Vietnam and West Himalaya.[6]
Cultivation[edit]
Pteris cretica is cultivated widely by plant nurseries. It is used in gardens in the ground and as a potted plant, and as a houseplant. The variety with variegated foliage, Pteris cretica var. albolineata, is also widely used, brightening shade gardens.
Both types thrive year round outdoors in subtropical climates, such as California. With a minimum temperature of 2 °C (36 °F), both require protection from frost, though the species is hardier and can be grown outdoors during the summer months in cold climates.[3]
The species,[7] and the variety P. cretica var. albolineata (syn. P. nipponica),[8] have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[9]
A relictual presence is certificated in the Italian peninsula Lazio (Ponte Terra gorge, San Vittorino, Rome).[citation needed]
References[edit]
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Pteris cretica". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
- ^ a b RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ "Missouri Botanical Garden - Pteris cretica". Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ a b Kew Science. "Pteris cretica subsp. cretica". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ a b Kew Science. "Pteris cretica subsp. laeta (Wall. ex Ettingsh.) Fraser-Jenk". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Pteris cretica". Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Pteris nipponica". Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 82. Retrieved 23 September 2018.