The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Sticherus tener

Etymology

Sticherus: in rows; from the greek sticheres; arrangement of the spore clusters

Common Name(s)

Silky Fan Fern

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 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant
2004 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant

Qualifiers

2012 - DP, RR, SO
2009 - SO, DP

Authority

Sticherus tener (R.Br.) Ching

Family

Gleicheniaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Ferns

Synonyms

Gleichenia tenera R.Br., Mertensia tenera (R.Br.) Poir, Gleichenia flabellata var. tenera (R.Br.) Hook.f.

Distribution

Indigenous. Common in South Eastern Victoria and Tasmania. In New Zealand known only from the Five Fingers Peninsula, Resolution Island, Fiordland where it said to be reasonably common.

Habitat

Collected from a steep ridge under dense Nothofagus menziesii (Hook.f.) Oerst. forest. More exact collection details unavailable. In Tasmania where this species is abundant it tends to grow in permanently damp soils along water courses and drainage lines within rainforest (often dominated by Nothofagus cunninghamii (Hook.) Oerst)

Features

Stout fern forming dense colonies. Rhizome long creeping (up to 2 m long), 2-3 mm diameter, with dark brown ciliate scales. Frond yellow-green to green, comprised of 1-4 tiers of opposite primary branches which in turn are divided 1-4 times; utlimate divisions linear to narrowly lanceolate; pinnules of first fork simple or lobed; dormant axillary buds conspicuous. Stipe 0.6-0.9 m long, glabrous except for basal scales; rachis bearing brown ciliate scales, glabrescent. Ultimate segments 8-20 x2-3 mm wide, entire or rarely with distal portions irregularly crenate, set at an angle of 75º-90º to axis, glabrous above, with white to pale brown simple and branched hairs along the veins below. Sori of 3-6 sporangia set 1/3 to 1/2 the distance from the margin to the midrib; sporangia yellow-brown 2-3 mm diameter. Description adapted from Chinnock & Bell (1998).

Similar Taxa

In New Zealand this species could only ever be confused with Sticherus flabellatus (R.Br.) H.St John var. flabellatus from which it differs by the mostly entire ultimate segments set at 75º-90º to the axis, and smooth rhizomes. In New Zealand S. flabellatus is found well to the north of the only known occurrence of S. tener. However, S. tener and S. cunninghamii (Hook.) Ching may be sympatric; from S. tener, S. cunninghamii differs by its usually one tiered, distinctly more umbrella-like frond which is usually dark green above and white below, and has much shorter more finely divided pinna.

Flowering

Not applicable - spore producing

Flower Colours

No Flowers

Fruiting

Not applicable - spore producing

Propagation Technique

Unknown from cultivation in New Zealand

Threats

Unknown. Represented in New Zealand by a single incomplete gathering mad ein the 1960s and only recognised as this species in 1998.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 19 Jan 2014