#1875 - Pteris tremula - Tender Brake
Another fern from the stairs on the north bank of the Yarra. 'Brake' is an Old English word for fern in southern England, probably from the same derivation as 'bracken'. Pteris means 'feathery'.
A native to the Yarra and its tributaries, but one promptly domesticated in Melbourne's public and private ferneries, where it was admired for ‘its fine habit, light green fronds, and general hardiness’ (Weekly Times 13/02/1875). Elsewhere, Tender Brake has naturalised in South Africa, the Atlantic islands and California’s San Gabriel and Santa Lucia mountains, after being distributed as an ornamental.
Around Melbourne at least it's not very fussy about growing conditions, apparently perfectly happy in damp soil-filled kerbside cracks or halfway up brick walls.
It's not the only species of brake growing around the city - Chinese Ladder Brake, Pteris vittata, is also well-established. That species is now found in most parts of the world, and is also noteworthy for being a hyperaccumulator of arsenic.
