Anogramma leptophylla
Common names
Jersey fern, annual fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Dimunitive, tufted, winter dormant, early spring to mid summer-green fern, which dries off by mid to late summer, appearing dead. Rhizomes small, hairy. Stipes red-brown, glabrous. Fronds 10–60 mm long, ovate or narrowly ovate, 2–3-pinnate, 8–50 x 7–30 mm, pale green or yellow-green, somewhat membraneous and delicate, glabrous. Sterile fronds smaller than fertile, appearing first. Ultimate frond divisions fan-shaped and deeply notched. Sori near tips of pinnae, one per segment.
Similar taxa
None
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island, South Island—easterly in its distribution. Also Australia, South America, Africa, India and Europe.
Habitat
Clay banks, alluvial banks, rock faces and overhangs. Often associated with liverworts.
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: Sp, DPR, DPT, SO
Threats
This species is mainly threatened through habitat loss by competition with weeds, and by the removal of surrounding vegetation.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Pteridaceae
Synonyms
Polypodium leptophyllum L., Grammitis leptophylla Swartz, Gymnogramme leptophylla Desv., Gymnogramme novae-zelandiae Colenso; Osmunda leptophylla (L.) Savigny in Lam.; Hemionitis leptophylla (L.) Lag.; Acrostichum leptophyllum (L.) Lam. et DC.; Asplenium leptophyllum (L.) Sw.; Grammitis leptophylla (L.) Sw.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Difficult and should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for July 2017 for the full story.
Etymology
anogramma: From the Greek ano ‘upward’ or ‘above’ and gramma ‘lined’ or ‘written’, referring to the sori maturing first near the tips
leptophylla: Slender leaf
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.
ANOLEP
Chromosome number
2n = 52, 58
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DP, RR, SO, Sp
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: EF, RR, SO, Sp
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: SO, EF, RR, Sp
2004 | Gradual Decline
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Moss T. 1988. The Anogramma-Targionia association. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin 44: 16–18.
Brownsey PJ, Smith-Dodsworth JC. 2000. New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. David Bateman, Auckland, NZ. 168 p.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (17 April 2011). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Anogramma leptophylla Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/anogramma-leptophylla/ (Date website was queried)