Leather Leaf Fern (Pyrrosia eleagnifolia)
Kingdom: Plantae
Class: Ferns
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Pyrrosia
Scientific Name: Pyrrosia eleagnifolia
Common name: Leather-Leaf Fern, Ngarara Wehi, Ota
Leather-Leaf fern is a native to New Zealand and is a creeping epiphyte found on tree trunks, branches, or on coastal rocks. Its thick leathery tongue shape fronds are 3 -20cm long, 1 to 2cm wide and are tough and leathery. These thick fronds plus the minute hairs on it's under surfaces stop dehydration in dry weather. This fern has a range of frond shapes; the longer narrow ones are fertile and on maturity are usually covered with sori on the underside. The smaller rounded fronds are barren.
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