Hiya distans

Hiya distans, formerly Hypolepis distans, known as the scrambling ground fern is a small fern found in soils with a high humus layer, or swampy areas in New Zealand. Less often seen in Australia. Rarely recorded in north west Tasmania and King Island. There is one known population on the Australian mainland, at Macquarie Pass in New South Wales. An introduced population is at the remote Norfolk Island in the south Pacific Ocean. The scrambling ground fern features 20 to 40 pairs of primary pinnae, opposite or subopposite on the stem, at an angle of 90 degrees. The specific epithet distans is derived from Latin, meaning "widely spaced".^[1][2]

Scrambling ground fern
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Division:	Polypodiophyta
Class:	Polypodiopsida
Order:	Polypodiales
Family:	Dennstaedtiaceae
Genus:	Hiya
Species:	H. distans
Binomial name
Hiya distans (Hook.) Brownsey & Perrie
Synonyms
Hypolepis distans Hook.

References

1. Matt Renner. "Hypolepis distans". Plantnet - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
2. de Lange, P.J. "Hiya distans". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 12 December 2021.