Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum

Summary

Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum (previously A. sp. Blue Pool) was a species of epiphytic or lithophytic fern known from subtropical rainforest in Lamington National Park in the state of Queensland, Australia. Only one plant was known in the wild and when this plant died the specimen was preserved and used to describe the species. Further searching in nearby habitat has not located any more specimens of this fern.

Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Division: Polypodiophyta
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Family: Pteridaceae
Genus: Antrophyum
Species:
A. austroqueenslandicum
Binomial name
Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum
D.L.Jones, 1998

It is listed as Presumed Extinct under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act. However the habitat of this species is protected and has not suffered significant disturbance and other populations of this fern may still exist in unexplored areas of the McPherson Range. The scientifically unexplored nature of these mountains is shown by the recent discovery of two large tree species Eucryphia jinksii in 1995 and Eidothea hardeniana in 2000.

References edit

  • Nature Conservation Act Extinct Species [1]
  • Antrophyum Species of the World [2]