Davallia tasmanii subsp. cristata
Common names
Puketi hare’sfoot fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Usually terrestrial, creeping fern with long, widely creeping, branched rhizomes. Rhizomes 2–8 mm diam., rooting at intervals, initially densely covered in scales, these shedding with age. Rhizome scales on new growth, up to 10 × 2 mm, peltate, triangular-ovate, tapering to apex, pale orange-brown to yellow-brown, toothed from base to apex, with multiseptate hairs restricted to apex. Stipe black, stout, rather wiry, 20–180 mm long, glabrous except for scales at base. Frond 24–280 × 29–290 mm, deltoid-pentangular, tripinnate then pinnatifid, coriaceous, glabrescent, yellow-green to bright green. Lowest primary pinnae longer and broader than others; the basal basiscopic secondary pinnae 6–81 × 3–61 mm. Larger ultimate sterile segments incised, lobed or toothed; false veins frequent, conspicuous, extending almost to junction of true veins. Larger ultimate fertile segments truncate, bearing 1–(3) sori. Indusia 1.5 × 1.2 mm. Spores malformed, sterile.
Similar taxa
Separated from D. tasmanii Field subsp. tasmanii by the apices of the mature rhizome scales bearing multiseptate hairs, by the frequent presence of conspicuous false veins, and by the truncate, fertile frond segments usually bearing only one sorus. This subspecies is apparently completely sterile, and may be represented in the wild by only a single clone.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Puketi Forest).
Habitat
In open sites on the margin of a cliff face where it grows within kauri forest on leaf litter and also as a low epiphyte.
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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL, RR, RF
Threats
Known from a single site on a forested cliff face within a reserved area. The population is small and vulnerable to trampling by people and feral animals. The fern is considered so highly threatened because it occupies such a small area, and the wild population may comprise only a single sterile clone.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Davalliaceae
Synonyms
None
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Life cycle
Spores are sterile.
Propagation technique
Difficult. Can be grown in a well drained medium such as bark within a pot or tray. Very slow growing, prefers dappled light.
Other information
Etymology
davallia: Named after Edmond Davall, 18th century English-born Swiss botanist
tasmanii: Named after Abel Janzoon Tasman (1603-1659) who in the 17th century was the first European to sight Van Dieman’s land (now known as Tasmania)
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.
DAVTSC
Chromosome number
2n = c.79, 76-80
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL, RF, RR, St
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, OL, RF, RR, St
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: CD, St, RF, OL, RR
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
von Konrat MJ, Braggins JE, de Lange PJ. 1999. Davallia (Pteridophyta) in New Zealand, including description of a new subspecies of D. tasmanii. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37(4): 579–593. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1999.9512655.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 October 2003. Description adapted from von Konrat et al. (1999).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Davallia tasmanii subsp. cristata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/davallia-tasmanii-subsp-cristata/ (Date website was queried)