It is impossible not to encounter dotted polypody or ‘ae along the Kīlauea Iki day hike in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
Dotted polypody is one of the first vascular plants to colonize post-lava flow landscapes. In areas with such exceptional drainage, ferns need to establish in areas where small amounts of moisture can be retained from aeolian-deposited (wind) organic matter, such as crevices. This is also true for ferns in other broadly-disturbed ecosystems, such as alpine scree and boulder fields. Even though little rainwater persists at ground level, frequent rainfall helps the fern’s water-dependent life-cycle complete.
Kathy Valier, in her Ferns of Hawai’i, describes dotted polypody in part:
The fronds of plants growing in forests form a single flat plane, but the variety vulcanicum that grows in crevices of windswept lava flows feathers its pinnae horizontally.
The species is endemic to the Hawaiian islands, found on all sizable land masses except for Kaua’i and Ni’ihau. The variety in today’s photographs, however, is restricted to just three islands: Hawai’i, Maui, and Moloka’i.
These are thrilling pictures! How quickly plants move into barren volcanic areas. We hike into Haleakala on Maui many times a year and see these leathery ferns thriving there.
Fascinating photos! Amazing growth in such a barren area so soon!
first thought? time to get the parking lot resurfaced. Then I realized it was lava and those were ferns!!
These photos took my breath away! I would never have guessed that a fern would be one of the first vascular plants – though surely lichens (perhaps visible in the third photo?) and mosses (maybe in the same relatively moist cracks as the fern?) are among the pioneers too. Another reason I must make the trip from Maine to Hawaii some day. Many thanks!
Yes, lichens and mosses will be among the first non-vascular pioneers. However, the rock underneath this lava bed is still superheated (presumably it is magma eventually). The rainwater pulled down by gravity eventually hits this, and is then released as steam. At the fissures where steam and condensed steam (hot water) escape, there are also algae growing.
The Big Island is a very special place. We made a sojourn to the Hilo area last June and went to Hawaii Volcano National Park. It is always an adventure and one can feel the energy between the toes. We will be going back again this year to finalize a listing in Leilani Estates.
That’s very near where we stayed!
Striking photos! What is the scale of the second one? How far away were you? It’s hard to tell.
Michael, if you zoom in on that image a bit (by clicking on it), you can see the group of people in the upper right corner. This would have been a photo taken from the caldera’s rim, which was perhaps a 150m above the lava lake, and from where the people are, perhaps 200m as the crow flies? I’ll let you do the trigonometry. I think a 70-200mm lens was used.
Reminds me of the horsetail breaking through my asphalt driveway (and my not-so-zen pebble garden, and between the rocks in my pond edging, and…), though I’d much rather have those gorgeous polypodies!
We saw these ferns in 2011 while visiting Hawaii and were truly amazed!
Really good combination of 3 photos. (Increases our desire to visit Hawaii.)