Dryopteris wattsii is an unusual species in the genus owing to its epiphytic habit, and large rhizome provided with an elongate ventral meristele. It is endemic to northern Queensland, Australia, and known only from a few populations. The Reverend W.W. Watts originally described Revwattsia fragilis in 1915 as a Polystichum, presumably because of its perceived similarity to Rumohra adiantiformis, which was then also included in Polystichum. The species was later moved to the monotypic genus Revwattsia by D.L. Jones. Chloroplast DNA sequence data however demonstrate that it belongs with Dryopteris.
McKeown, M., Sundue, M. and Barrington, D.S., 2012. Phylogenetic analyses place the Australian monotypic Revwattsia in Dryopteris (Dryopteridaceae). PhytoKeys, (14), p.43.
Collection Data (Kessler Lehnert & Sundue 142923)
Classification & Common Names
- Class: Polypodiopsida
- Family: Dryopteridaceae
- Genus: Dryopteris Adans.
- Species: Dryopteris wattsii M. McKeown Sundue & Barrington
- Var./Subsp.:
- Common name(s):
General Collection Data
- Date: 10-XIII-2011
- Primary Collector & #: Kessler Lehnert & Sundue 142923
- Collection Party: M. Kessler, M. Sundue & M. Lehnert
- Det. History: M. Sundue
- Habitat: Primary Forest
- Habit: Epiphyte
- Specimen Locations: BRI, STU, VT, Z
Additional Comments
Along the Mt. Lewis road, ca. 12 km before the shelter at the end of the rd.
Collection Location
- Location: Mt. Lewis – – Cook District – Queensland – Australia.
- Coordinates: 16°36'S, 145°17'E
- Elevation: 900m
