Oceaniopteris gibba (Labill.) Gasper & Salino, Blechnaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate; score: 4 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Blechnum gibbum)

Other Latin names:  Blechnum gibbum (Labill.) Mett.; Lomaria gibba Labill.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: dwarf tree fern, silver lady, silver lady fern

Habit:  fern

Description:  "Treelike; rhiz to 3' or more tall, scales black. Lvs clustered, to 3' x 12", sterile and fertile lvs unlike, sterile blades deeply pinnately parted, oblong-lanceolate, widest above middle, tapering gradually toward base, fertile blades with pinnae 0.15-0.33" wide. . . . The crown bears distinctly different sterile and fertile fronds." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 31)

See also Remarkable plants of Vanuatu. p. 194.

Habitat/ecology:  In cultivation: "In Hawai'i, dwarf tree ferns are grown in the ground in shaded, protected areas. . . ." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 31)

Propagation:  In cultivation: "Propagation: Commercially, Blechnum gibbum are grown from spores which can take between one and three months to germinate. Occasionally, these ferns produce basal offsets which can be detached from the parents, potted up and treated as mature ferns." (Plants & Flowers)

Native range:  "New Caledonia and Vanuatu" (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 31)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands		Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 194)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 194)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Anatom Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Aneityum Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Espirito Santo Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Maéwo Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 194)

Comments:  In Hawaii [as Blechnum gibbum] (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 31)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Oceaniopteris gibba, please let us know.