Soft Tree Fern

[Chipchopper]

AKA Tasmanian tree fern e(Dicksoia antartica), I often wondered about the word 'soft' in the common name, where in actual fact, the fronds feel hard and coarse in reality.
Can anyone explain what part of the plant alludes to the word 'soft' ?

[EDDIE51]

Coniferous (pine) woods are classed as 'soft wood' it has nothing to do with the actual structure of the wood.
Balsa wood which is probably the softest wood in terms of actual structure is officially classed as a 'hardwood'.
Hardwoods come from deciduous trees , softwoods come from cone bearing (coniferous / pine ) trees.

[woofgang]

Can i suggest its because the trunk of the fern feel soft because of the “hairs” on the trunk....although I have to say i have never seen or heard it called a soft tree fern! I go to google!

[Chipchopper]

Thank you both for your answers.
After a bit of further research, I'm now pretty sure that 'soft' in the common name of D. antartica , is likely to be due the soft downy 'hairs' formed on the crosiers/fiddleheads of the young unfurling fronds.