Doodia mollis
Common names
mokimoki, mukimuki
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Small, tufted fern. Rhizomes erect. Stipes 30–150 mm long, clad in pale brown scales; rachises finely hairy. Frond faintly, sweetly scented when crushed. Sterile fronds spreading to prostrate with short, broad pinnae. Fertile fronds erect with longer narrower pinnae. Frond laminae narrowly elliptic to linear, pinnate, pinnules usually basally and broadly lobed, 80–260 × 15–50 mm, firmly fleshy, hairy or glabrous, pink or pinkish-green when young, maturing pale yellow-green to green. Pinnae in 10–20 pairs, the lower and middle ones stalked, the upper adnate. Terminal pinna 7–25 mm long (usually less than ⅛ of the total frond length). Longest pinnae 8–30 × 2–3 mm. Sori usually running together at maturity. Indusia linear, occasionally hairy.
Similar taxa
Superficially similar to Doodia squarrosa to which it seems to be closely related. For example both species have markedly dimorphic fronds, i.e., the sterile fronds have broader pinnules and are usually spreading and prostrate while the fertile fronds have narrower, linear pinnules and are held erect. However, D. squarrosa is usually much larger, it also tends to grow in drier and more exposed conditions, such as on basalt lava fields, scoria cones, and in the flood zone of creeks, streams and rivers. The terminal pinna of D. squarrosa is rather longer than in D. mollis (up to about half the total length of the frond) and the rachis is distinctly scaly rather than hairy as in D. mollis. Some apparently sterile, intermediate collections made from sites around Awanui where both species are sympatric suggests that they may hybridise.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Kermadec Islands (Macauley Island), North Island from Awanui south to the Hamilton Basin, Hauraki Plains, coastal portion of the Bay of Plenty and from Hawke’s Bay, and southern Wairarapa.
Habitat
Usually found in coastal to lowland forest, often along river margins or in alluvial forest, especially in damp sites or in deep highly fertile forest soils (especially overlying basalt, andesite or alluvium). Occasionally found under light scrub on damp clay banks. This species has also been gathered from the margins of drains running through alluvial forest. Often found in association with Doodia australis, with which it forms sterile hybrids known as D. ×digena Parris. More rarely found sympatric with D. squarrosa, with which it may also hybridise.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPR
Threats
An apparently naturally uncommon, biologically sparse species. Although some populations have been lost through land development the species remains rather widespread, and can at times be locally common.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Doodia caudata sensu Allan (1961), Doodia caudata sensu A.Rich.; Doodia media var. caudata G.M.Thomson; Blechnum molle (Parris) Christenh.
Taxonomic notes
Perrie et al. (2014) advocated for a broadened circumscription of Blechnaceae whereby a number of genera traditionally recognised as distinct from Blechnum were merged within it. However, this view has not met with universal acceptance (see Gasper et al. 2016) and does not seem to be followed worldwide (PPG 2016). From a New Zealand perspective the decision to merge Doodia in Blechnum, and rejection of Diploblechnum has not been universally accepted either e.g., Wilcox & Warden (2017), and as such it is considered appropriate to follow world opinion and accept the taxonomy of Gasper et al. (2016) and recommendations of the PPG (2016).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Not applicable—spore producing
Fruiting
Not applicable—spore producing
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh spores. An attractive fern that does well in dappled light on free draining, fertile but damp soil. Makes an excellent pot plant. Despite its apparently delicate nature it can be very drought tolerant.
Other information
Etymology
doodia: Named for Samuel Doody, 17th century London apothecary and curator
mollis: Soft
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.
DOOMOL
Chromosome number
2n = c.192
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Sparse
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Endangered | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, PF, Sp
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
Brownsey PJ, Smith-Dodsworth JC. 2000. New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. David Bateman, Auckland, NZ. 168 p.
Gasper AL, de Oliveira Dittrich VA, Smith AR, Salino A. 2016. A classification for Blechnaceae (Polypodiales: Polypodiopsida): New genera, resurrected names, and combinations. Phytotaxa 275: 191–227. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.275.3.1.
Parris BS. 1972. The genus Doodia (Blechnaceae: Filicales) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 10: 585–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1972.10430248.
Perrie LR, Wilson RK, Shepherd LD, Ohlsen DJ, Batty EL, Brownsey PJ, Bayly MJ. 2014. Molecular phylogenetics and generic taxonomy of Blechnaceae ferns. Taxon 63(4): 745–758. https://doi.org/10.12705/634.13.
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.
Wilcox M, Warden J. 2017. Botany of Hillsborough coast bush reserves, Manukau Harbour, Auckland. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 72: 32–46.
Attribution
Fact sheet [repared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (2 February 2005). Description adapted from Parris (1973) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Doodia mollis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/doodia-mollis/ (Date website was queried)