Cheilanthes sieberi subsp. sieberi
Common names
rock fern
Synonyms
Cheilanthes humilis (G. Forst.) P.S. Green; Cheilanthes tenuifolia sensu Allan (1961)
Family
Pteridaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Ferns
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.
CHESIE
Chromosome number
2n = 174
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island, South Island. Also Australia and New Caledonia
Habitat
Coastal to montane in dry, rocky habitats with only sparse or no vegetation cover. Often found growing with Pellaea calidirupium. More common in the drier eastern parts of the country.
Detailed description
Terrestrial or rupestral fern. Fronds up to 350 × 35 mm; stipe and rachis dark brown or red-brown, glabrous or with sparse to moderately dense hairs (to 10 cells, often twisted and glandular), densest at stipe-rachis-rachilla junction, with some scales. Lamina linear-lanceolate or ovate, 3-pinnate at base, 2-pinnate for most of length; larger pinnae triangular-ovate; pinnules lanceolate ovate or elliptic; margins deeply incised, inrolled; adaxially glabrous, abaxially glabrous rarely with a few, sparse hairs. Spores spherical, verrucose, with varying amounts of globular, branched or reticulate deposits; either black, ridged, 49–73 μm diameter and 16 per sporangium, or brown, trilete, 36–52 μm diameter, and 32 per sporangium.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from Cheilanthes distans with which it often grows by the the glabrous (or nearly glabrous) primary pinnae.
Life cycle
Minute spores are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown in a dry sunny site. An excellent pot plant. In ideal conditions it soon self establishes.
Etymology
cheilanthes: From the Greek kheilos ‘lip’ and anthos ‘flower’, referring to the indusium
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (Updated 3 May 2011). Description adapted from Chambers & Farrant (1998).
References and further reading
Chambers TC, Farrant PA. 1998. Cheilanthes. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 271–286. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Thorsen MJ, Dickinson KJM, Seddon PJ. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ppees.2009.06.001.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Cheilanthes sieberi subsp. sieberi Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/cheilanthes-sieberi-subsp-sieberi/ (Date website was queried)