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Story: Ferns and lycophytes

‘Blue book’ illustration

Image
‘Blue book’ illustration

This silhouette of a spleenwort comes from the first edition of H. B. Dobbie’s New Zealand ferns. Later editions had more comprehensive text and used photographic images.

Using this item

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Patrick Brownsey, Ferns and lycophytes – Ferns in New Zealand culture, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/10911/blue-book-illustration (accessed 3 June 2026).

Story by Patrick Brownsey, published 1 March 2009.