Blechnum chilense | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Division: | Pteridophyta |
Class: | Polypodiopsida / Pteridopsida (disputed) |
Order: | Polypodiales |
Family: | Blechnaceae |
Genus: | Blechnum |
Species: | B. chilense |
Binomial name | |
Blechnum chilense (Kaulf, 1824). |
Blechnum chilense, the Chilean hard fern or costilla de vaca (Chilean Spanish for "cow's rib"), syn. B. cordatum, B. magellanicum, is a fern of the family Blechnaceae, native to Chile. It is also found in neighboring areas of Argentina and the Juan Fernández Islands.
It grows to 0.9–1.8 m (2 ft 11 in–5 ft 11 in), often developing a trunk-like appearance over time. The fertile fronds are more erect, with narrower pinnae, than the infertile ones.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.