The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens

Etymology

Asplenium: From the Greek a- 'without' and splene 'spleen', a northern hemisphere species, the black spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum), was once believed to be a cure for diseases of the spleen.
trichomanes: From the ancient Greek name used by Theophrastus and Dioscorides, for a type of fern; refers to the slender hair projecting from each spore case

Common Name(s)

spleenwort

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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 - Data Deficient
2004 - Data Deficient

Qualifiers

2012 - RR, SO, Sp
2009 - SO

Authority

Asplenium trichomanes subsp. quadrivalens Meyer

Family

Aspleniaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

ASPTSQ

Structural Class

Ferns

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Indigenous. In New Zealand known only from a few collections from the eastern Hawkes Bay where it was recently discovered (2008) at a few sites. It is also in Australia, Europe and probably elsewhere.

Habitat

Unclear. Apparently lowland and at one site (Tangoio) it was collected from limestone outcrops. Other than that we know very little about it. It is suspected that a few collections probably came from gardens, and their status as representing truly wild populations is suspect.

Features

Plants tetraploid. Rhizome stout, erect, bearing dark brown subulate scales up to 5 mm long. Stipes 10-100 mm long, dark brown, shining, stiff, lacking scales except at the very base. Laminae linear, 50-300 mm long, dark green, sub-coriaceous, pinnate. Raches dark brown, shining, stiff, lacking scales. Pinnae sub-sessile, 15-25 (or more) pairs, oblong to more or less orbicular, crenate-serrate to more or less entire, 2-10 x 1-5 mm. Sori up to 3 mm long. Spores 34-39 microns long.

Similar Taxa

Easily recognised by the stiff and erect, simply pinnate fronds which are < 30 mm wide; bearing > 8 pairs pinnae; and by the brown stipe and rachis which is completely without scales. Two cryptic subspecies exist, one is hexaploid (2n = 216) and so has larger spores and is further distinguished by having larger darker scales while subsp. quadrivalens is tetraploid (2n = 144), so has smaller spores. It has finer, smaller, lighter scales.

Flowering

Not applicable - spore producing

Flower Colours

No Flowers

Fruiting

Not applicable - spore producing

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Unknown. This subspecies has only been collected a few times in New Zealand and recent attempts to rediscover it at these locations have so far been unsuccessful

Chromosome No.

2n = 144

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 14 Aug 2014