Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum

Taxobox
name = "Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum"
status = EW
status_system = QLDNCA
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Pteridophyta
classis = Pteridopsida
ordo = Polypodiales
familia = Polypodiaceae
genus = "Antrophyum"
genus_authority =
species = "A. austroqueenslandicum"
binomial = "Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum"
binomial_authority = D. L. Jones, 1998

"Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum" (previously "A. sp." Blue Pool) was a species of epiphytic or lithrophytic 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.

It is listed as Presumed Extinct under the Qld Nature Conservation Act. However the habitat of this species is protected and has not suffered significant disturbance and one has to ask where did the spore that grew this single plant come from? 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

* Nature Conservation Act Extinct Species [http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_reg/ncr1994400/sch1.html]

* Antrophyum Species of the World [http://homepages.caverock.net.nz/~bj/fern/antrophyum.htm]