Abrodictyum elongatum
Common names
bristle fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Terrestrial tufted fern. Rhizomes short, stout, erect, bearing numerous dark brown hairs. Fronds submembranous, ± cartilaginous, dark olive-green, adaxially glossy, surfaces often covered in epiphyllous liverworts and mosses. Stipes 50–200 mm long. Rachises winged only near apices. Laminae 60–150 × deltoid, 3-pinnate. Primary and secondary pinnae overlapping, stalked; ultimate segments broad, deeply toothed, the veins forking several times in each. Sori sessile, borne in notches of lamina segments, several on each primary pinnae. Indusia tubular, mouth slightly flared, receptacle exserted.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the erect rhizome, deltoid, dark olive-green fronds (which often support epiphyllous bryophytes), and by the conspicuous tubular indusia bearing brown hair-like, bristly well exserted receptacles.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island, South Island, Chatham Islands. Scarce on the Chatham Islands where it is known only from Chatham Island (Rēkohu).
Habitat
Coastal to montane in closed and open forest and gumland scrub. Usually on semi-shaded mossy clay banks, in overhangs on rock, soil, clay or along stream side banks. Often in rather dry or seasonally dry, semi-shaded sites. This species appears to resent poorly drained habitats.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Hymenophyllaceae
Synonyms
Trichomanes elongatum A.Cunn., Selenodesmium elongatum (A.Cunn.) Copel.
Taxonomic notes
NZPCN now follows Ebihara et al. (2006) in recognising Abrodictyum as distinct from Trichomanes. Although Brownsey & Perrie (2016) rejected this idea, the generic segregation was adopted by the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (2016) and is now widely followed throughout the world.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Etymology
abrodictyum: From the Greek habros ‘delicate’, ‘pretty’ and diktyon ‘net’, literally “delicate net”
elongatum: Elongate
NVS code
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.
ABRELO
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Brownsey PJ, Smith-Dodsworth JC. 2000. New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. David Bateman, Auckland, NZ. 168 p.
Brownsey PJ, Perrie LR. 2016. Hymenophyllaceae. In: Breitwieser I, Heenan PB, Wilton AD. Flora of New Zealand - Ferns and Lycophytes. Fascicle 15. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, NZ. https://doi.org/10.7931/B1QP4Z.
Ebihara A, Dubuisson, J-Y, Iwatsuki K, Hennequin S, Ito M. 2006. A taxonomic revision of the Hymenophyllaceae. Blumea 51: 2–57. https://doi.org/10.3767/000651906X622210.
PPG 1: The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group 2016. A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54: 563–603. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12229.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (21 April 2011). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Abrodictyum elongatum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/abrodictyum-elongatum/ (Date website was queried)