Species

Trichomanes strictum

Etymology

strictum: From the Latin strictus 'upright, stiff'

Common Name(s)

Erect bristle fern

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Trichomanes strictum Menzies ex Hook. et Grev.

Family

Hymenophyllaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

TRISTR

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Ferns

Synonyms

Macroglena stricta (Hook. et Grev.) Copel.; Trichomanes leptophyllum A.Cunn.; Trichomanes rigidum var. strictum (Menzies ex Hook. et Grev.) Field, Abrodictyum strictum (Menzies ex Hook. et Grev.) Ebihara et K.Iwats.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands from Te Paki south and mainly westerly in the two main islands of New Zealand. Extremely uncommon on the Chatham Islands where it is known only from two sites on Rekohu (Chatham Island).

Habitat

Coastal to montane, in closed forest (at usually (but not exclusively) at higher altitudes in the North Island), often in tree caves, and amongst exposed tree roots, in and around rock overhangs, cave entrances, and within pot holes in ephemeral streams, or on mossy logs and moss covered banks and ledges within stream systems. Occasionally on clay banks in gumland scrub.

Features

Terrestrial tufted fern. Rhizomes short, stout, erect, bearing numerous red-brown hairs. Fronds dark green, ± erect, arcuate. Stipes 30-140 mm long. Rachises narrowly winged throughout. Laminae 60-200(-220) × 20-60 mm, narrowly elliptic, 3-pinnate, somewhat stiff and bristly. Primary and secondary pinnae stalked, imbricate; ultimate segments linear, each furnished with a single unbranched vein. Sori present near bases of lamina segments, stalked on short branches, several on each primary pinna. Indusia tubular, mouth slightly flared, receptacle exserted.

Similar Taxa

Easily distinguished from other New Zealand members of Trichomanes species by the short, erect rhizomes, and long, narrow rather stiff and bristly fronds with finely divided linear ultimate segments. Most often confused with young plants of the very different Leptopteris hymenophyllioides from which it can be distinguished by the tubular indusia bearing hair-like exserted receptacles.

Flowering

N.A.

Flower Colours

No Flowers

Fruiting

N.A.

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild.

Threats

Not Threatened. However, this species is biologically sparse and probably merits listing as "At Risk/Naturally Uncommon" qualified "Sp" [Sparse].

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

Taxonomic Notes

Previously NZPCN had followed Ebihara et al. (2006) in recognising Abrodictyum as distinct from Trichomanes - recently Brownsey & Perrie (2016) have rejected this idea favouring a return to the past broad circumscription of Trichomanes used in New Zealand.

Attribution

Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (21 April 2011). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).

References and further reading

Brownsey, P.J.; Smith-Dodsworth, J.C. 2000: New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. Auckland, David Bateman

Brownsey, P.J. & Perrie, L.R. 2016: Hymenophyllaceae. In: Breitwieser, I.; Heenan, P.B.; Wilton, A.D.
Flora of New Zealand - Ferns and Lycophytes. Fascicle 15. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln.

Ebihara, A.; Dubuisson, J-Y.; Iwatsuki, K.; Hennequin, S.; Ito, M. 2006: A taxonomic revision of the Hymenophyllaceae. Blumea 51: 2-57

This page last updated on 9 Apr 2016