Centennial Parklands Dining has announced its autumn trading hours for the Easter weekend and the rest of the season. 
See the fantastic 52 weekly winners from our 2011 Park Visitor photo competition! 
If you love Centennial Parklands, have questions or concerns, you can have your say through the Parklands' Community Consultative Committee 
Gate times have changed as of Sunday 1 April due to the end of daylight savings in NSW. 
Our new blog is live, so why not check out the latest blog post now. A great read for all who love these Parklands. 
Mulga Fern
Name:
Mulga Fern
Botanical name:
Cheilanthes sieberi
Description:
The genus Cheilanthes has an almost cosmopolitan distribution, with more than 180 species worldwide and 15 species in Australia occurring across all states. Mulga Fern has a wide distribution in Australia across all states except for Tasmania, and is also found on Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, New Zealand and New Caledonia.
In NSW, Mulga Fern occurs from the coast and tablelands through to the arid far western plains, although it is more common in the central plains of the state than in the far west. Mulga Fern grows across a range of habitats: it is often found in rocky areas growing in shallow soil on rocks or in crevices, but also occurs in woodland as well. In the Sydney area it can be found mainly in rocky areas on sandstone throughout the region, but also in woodland on drier clay soils, such as in the Cumberland Plain in the western suburbs.
Mulga Fern is a small fern with erect fronds rarely reaching more than 25cm high. These have a distinctively shiny dark brown stipe (stem) and mid-green leaf segments. The fronds arise from a rhizome or underground stem. Fertile fronds bear spores in clusters called sori which occur around the margins of the underside of the leaf segments. These green leaf segments curl up in dry conditions and may appear dead, but can expand again with rain.
Mulga Fern has also been called Rock Fern, or Poison Rock Fern. The origin of the common name Mulga Fern is odd in that it occurs in many other habitats other than mulga woodlands or shrublands, whereas Rock Fern is evidently so named for its association with rocky habitats. Poison Rock Fern is a well deserved name as this plant has been implicated in many instances of poisoning to cattle and sheep, primarily across Queensland and NSW.
Where can they be seen in the Parklands:
In the Parklands, Mulga Fern is a rare plant. The few specimens I have seen have been in Centennial Park on sand dunes in the lower Park near the Kensington Pond, but it would not surprise me if a few turned up on some of the small rock ledges in the higher parts of the Park.
