Sickle Fern - native (Peleaea falcata)

Family: Adiantaceae.

Occurrence. Rare. Recorded at Turpins Falls, Coliban Park and Barfold Gorge.

The frond stalk is densely covered with dark-brown to black scales which have paler borders.

The leaflets have short stalks.

The spores appear to make a continuous border around the edges of the leaflets.

In dry conditions the leaves are deciduous. Sickle Fern can revive after drying out.

Although called Sickle Fern, the leaves are not noticeably sickle-shaped.

Pellaea = dark coloured; falcata = lance-shaped, describing the leaves.