Stemless / Acaulescent
A plant that has no stems, when the flower stalks and leaf blades are produced from ground level.
Clumping
A plant that when multiplies forms a clump.This fern has a long creeping brown scaly rhizome and forms a clump with wiry dark leaf bases. It has divided dark green fronds that form a lanced-shape outline with small oblong leaflets and the fertile fronds appear during summer.
Pellaea rotundifolia (G. Forst.) Hook. is naturally found from Australia to New Zealand growing on moist limestone cliffs or in dry rocky crevices and along open forest margins on the coast and in the lower mountains appearing from sea level to an altitude of 304 m (1,000 ft) or more. It prefers a well drained moderately fertile moist to dry sandy-stony to light loamy soil that is acidic to slightly alkaline with a pH range from 6.0 to 7.0. It prefers a semi-shaded to sunny protected position with low humidity and is frost and drought tender.
The Button Fern is grown for its attractive spreading fronds and its clumping habit. It is grown in rock garden crevices or in the understory of woodland settings and around water features. It is also grown in pots and in hanging baskets or used as a houseplant in a sunny position with midday shade. In cool climates it is cultivated in a glasshouse and establishes in 1 to 2 years from division. It is cultivated in many regions including the United Kingdom and California in the USA. It has a high water requirement (Scale: 3-drops from 3), preferring to have dry soil before watering and dislikes wet conditions.
I.D. 1305
UK hardiness zone H2
Climate zones 14-17, 19-24
USDA Zone 9-11
Pellaea (pe-LIE-a) rotundifolia (ro-tund-i-FO-lee-a)
Etymology
Genus: Greek - Pellaea from ‘pellaios’ meaning (dusky) referring to the to the dark stipes
Species: - Latin – rotundifolia – from ‘rotundus’ and ‘folium’ meaning (leaves) referring to the rounded pinnae (leaflets)
Hybrid
Buckle Fern, Pellaea rotundifolia x Pellaea falcata
This fern grows to 450 mm (18 in) wide and produces fronds up to 300 mm (1 ft) long. It is suitable for rockeries or as a container plant in a semi-shaded moist position.
Australia, New Zealand
Pteridaceae (TE-ri-de-AY-see-ee)
(Adiantaceae)
The plants in this family are represented by three major evolutionary lines (adiantoids, pteroides and cheilanthoids). They are terrestrial or grow on rocks at a range of from temperate to tropical regions.
Distribution
The plants are rhizomatous and are normally found in damp areas along riverbanks and in rainforests amongst rocks.
Diagnostic Features
These plants have a short or long creeping rhizome that branch freely and are covered in yellowish to reddish brown scales with hard stipes that are purple to black.
The fronds are semi-erect to erect or pendent and are pinnate to quadripinnate in shape.
The pinnae or pinnules are membranous, asymmetrically and glabrous or hairy. The sori is elongated, reniform or crescent-shaped and have a false indusium (lack an indusia) or are protected by a reflex or revolute leaf margin.
Note:
These delicate looking ferns are hardy and some species are drought resistant and many are popular for pot cultivation. There are 40 genera and 1000+ species.
Plant use: terrarium
This plant tolerates between USDA zones 9a to 11a and grows to 0.3 m (1 ft)
Fahrenheit 20º to 45º F
These temperatures represent the lowest average.
Celsius -6.6º to 7.2º C
Attention
This plant was last revised on the 13/05/2019
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Compound
The leaf that is divided into separate units (leaflets).
Pinnate
A compound leaf that ends in a single or double leaves.
Basal
When the leaves grow from the base of the plant or radically from the root-shoot point.
Crenate
A leaf margin that is saw toothed with the teeth being rounded.
Sori
A patch of fructification on the back of the fronds of ferns.| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
The sori are produced along the recurved margins on the underside of the narrow fertile pinnae during summer.
Sporangium
It is a cell or structure where the spores are produced on the undersides of fronds."| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
The spores are produced in the sporangium during the sporophyte stage of the fern life cycle in rows on the back of the fertile frond. The spores are very small (like fine dust) and are released from the sori when mature and dispersed by wind or water.
The Button Fern is grown for its attractive spreading fronds and its clumping habit. It is grown in rock gardens crevices or in the understory of woodland settings and around water features. It is also grown in pots and in hanging baskets or used as a houseplant in a sunny position with midday shade. In cool climates it is cultivated in a glasshouse and establishes in 1 to 2 years from division. It is cultivated in many regions including the United Kingdom and California in the USA.
Note:
This fern prefers slightly acid 6 to 7 pH and in some soils added limestone is required. The soil must be very well drained and kept moist but not wet. Allow to dry out before re-watering and protect plants from excessive rain.
When grown indoors the plant requires bright indirect light with a minium night temperature of 7º C (45º F) and with low humidity about 40%. The soil mix is composed of 50% sharp sand and 50% leaf-mould and fertilise monthly from spring to summer.
FERNS
General cultural requirements for ferns
Temperature
The ideal temperature required for ferns ranges from 15.5º to 22º C (60º to 70º F); above and below these temperatures the ferns tend to suffer.
Light
Naturally a fern receive bright dappled light and for successful growth around a home bright indirect light is preferred. Ferns do poorly if grown in the shade.
Water
Ferns require constantly moist, well drained soils but not wet or waterlogged as this promotes rot. Ferns like the water to pass by the roots regularly.
Humidity
Ferns need a humid environment and do poorly in dry air. Humidity may be maintained for potted plants by regular misting of the fronds or by placing the container above a saucer filled with water. In the outdoors maintain moist soils or in hot weather outside spray the area with a garden hose for a short period regularly.
Re-potting
Re-pot ferns when the roots have filled the container, preferable during spring and use a well drained loam based soil mix with added leaf mould. When planting, be careful not to bury the crown of the plant.
When fertilising, ferns prefer a little and regular liquid fertiliser during the growing period and this will improve pale fronds and weak growth.
Soil
Generally ferns prefer a heaver well drained soil type with ample organic matter tending acidic. Sandy soil types require regular mulching and heavy clay soils require the addition of gypsum and organic matter in conduction with cultivation to make it more friable. They will tolerate most soil types including granite or basalt based and some species are found in limestone base soils. All require organic material and moisture.
Place spores on sterilised sphagnum moss, peat moss then cover with glass and keep moist. 4 to 6 weeks. Divide established clumps (rhizome) during spring before the new growth appears.
Rhizomes
A rhizome is a stem that grows horizontally either below or on the surface of the soil with the shoots growing vertically as in bamboo and many grasses. The stems are composed of nodes and inter nodes giving it a segmented appearance.
Propagation is normally carried out by division during spring and autumn, by cutting the rhizome into sections each with at least one node. Placed on a moist bed or slightly buried and kept warm will produce roots and shoots from the nodes.
Average Lowest Temperature : -1º C 30º F
USDA : 9, 10, 11
This USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hardiness zone chart can be used to indicate a plant’s ability to withstand average minimum temperatures. However, other factors such as soil type, pH, and moisture, drainage, humidity and exposure to sun and wind will also have a direct effect on your plant’s survival. Use this chart only as a guide, always keep the other factors in mind when deciding where, when and what to plant.
A plant's individual USDA zone can be found in the Plant Overview.
Climate Description
Warm to Sub-tropical
This overlaping zone has ample rain with high summer temeperatures and high humidity. Winters are mild. Pockets of sub-tropical climates exist within coastal warm temperate zones.
Frosts and droughts rarely occur along the coast.
Plant growth
Tropical and warm temperate native and exotic plants grow well.
| Dictionary | Growth Habit |
| Leaf Type | Botanic Flower Description |
| Leaf Shape | Flower Inflorescence |
| Leaf Arrangement | Fruit Type |
| Leaf Margin | Bark Type |
| Leaf Apex And Bases | Flower Description |
