Dendroconche scandens
Common names
fragrant fern, mokimoki
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Epiphytic or rupestral scrambling or climbing fern. Rhizomes long-creeping, 2–4 mm diameter, rather slender, flexuose (wiry), densely invested in persistent scales. Scales 2.0–8.0 × 1.0–2.2 mm, dark brown to purple-brown, ovate to narrowly ovate, squarrose, acuminate, minutely dentate near base. Fronds 75–580 × 10–30 mm (simple fronds 45–39 × 6–31 mm), dull green. Stipes 6–160 mm long, slender, pale, glossy, sparsely scaly. Lamina membranous, deeply pinnatifid or simple, strongly, pleasantly scented when fresh or recently dried. Pinnae in 1–20 pairs, 8–100 × 2.5–18 mm, falcate, strongly ascending, tapering toward apices, base adnate, tapering into stipe; margins often undulose; veins reticulate, usually forming only 1 series of areoles between costa (midrib in simple fronds) and lobe margin, glabrous part from a few scattered scales on midrib and costae. Sori in 1 row close to margin on each side of costa of laminal lobe or midrib in simple fronds, rounded or sometimes elongated or oval, impressed into abaxial lamina, forming low protuberances on the adaxial lamina surface. Spores orange-brown.
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished from the two other New Zealand Microsoroideae polypodiaceous ferns in the genus Zealandia by the narrow, long-creeping, dorsiventrally flattened rhizomes which are rarely pruinose, have laterally inserted climbing roots, and by the sori which are not deeply impressed in the lamina. The rhizome scales of Dendroconche scandens are also erect, membranous, coloured dark brown to purple-brown, and the fronds are dull green, narrower, and usually bear more pinnae. When crushed the fronds of Dendroconche scandens are pleasantly aromatic.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (widespread), South Island (widespread south to Franz Josef (Westland)), Chatham Islands. Also Australia (eastern Australia (Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria), Lord Howe Island.
Habitat
Coastal to lowland, in forest. A common creeping fern covering rock piles, tree and tree fern trunks and bare ground. Unlike the superficially similar Zealandia pustulata, Dendroconche scandens is much less drought tolerant and so prefers less open, shaded and damper situations.
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.
- 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
Synonyms
Phymatosorus scandens (G. Forst.) C. Presl; Phymatosorus scandens (G. Forst.) Pic. Serm.; Polypodium pustulatum sensu A.Cunn.; Microsorium pustulatum sensu Dobbie; Phymatodes pustulata sensu Hook.f.; Phymatosorus scandens (G.Forst.) Pic.Serm.; Drynaria scandens (G.Forst.) Fée; Microsorum scandens (G. Forst.) Tindale; Lecanopteris scandens (G.Forst.) Perrie & Brownsey
Taxonomic notes
The treatment of Testo et al. (2019) in which the New Zealand ferns previously treated by New Zealand authors as Microsorum (see Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth 2000) are segregated into two genera, Dendroconche and Zealandia is followed here.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Easily grown from rooted pieces of rhizome. Excellent in a hanging basket, large pot, or trained to grow over rocks, and logs but requires a shaded site and needs frequent watering. Once established it rarely requires much attention and has the advantage of being mostly disease and pest free.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Cultural use/importance
The scented fronds of Dendroconche scandens known as “mokimoki” were much used by Māori to mask unpleasant odours.
Etymology
scandens: Climbing; from the Latin scandere; groth habit
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.
MICSCN
Chromosome number
2n = 74
Previous conservation statuses
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.
- 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.
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Bostock PD, Spokes TM. 1998. Polypodiaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 468–495. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Brownsey PJ, Smith-Dodsworth JC. 2000. New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. David Bateman, Auckland, NZ. 168 p.
Testo WL, Field AR, Sessa EB, Sundue M. 2019. Phylogenetic and morphological analyses support the resurrection of Dendroconche and the recognition of two new genera in Polypodiaceae Subfamily Microsoroideae. Systematic Botany 44(4): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1600/036364419X15650157948607.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (13 January 2012). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000) and Bostock & Spokes (1998).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Dendroconche scandens Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/dendroconche-scandens/ (Date website was queried)