Doodia squarrosa
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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, DPT
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Tufted fern arising from shortly erect rhizomes. Stipes 50–150–(200) mm long, along with rachises clad in sparse, brown, caducous scales otherwise glabrous. Fronds dimorphic, the sterile ones prostrate and smaller than the erect, fertile ones. Fronds 14–450 × 15–80 mm, firmly fleshy, glabrescent, pink when young maturing green to dark green. Pinnae in 15–35 pairs, lower and middle pairs stalked, the others fused (adnate) to stipe. Fertile terminal pinna 15–155 mm (conspicuously longer than all other pinnules, up to 1/8 length of entire frond). Indusia linear.
Similar taxa
Most likely to be confused with Doodia mollis whose fronds are also distinctly dimorphic. However the fronds of this species are distinctly hairy, pinnae are up to 20 pairs, and the terminal pinna is scarcely longer than the rest.
Distribution
Endemic. Kermadec Islands (Macauley Island). New Zealand: North Island from Northland to Wellington.
Habitat
Coastal and lowland alluvial forest, river banks (often in the flood zone), near water falls and in geothermal areas, usually in dappled light or sunny situations. Appears to show a strong preference for base-rich substrates such as basalt, limestone, and the apatite-rich facies of greywacke.
Threats
Occupying a range of habitats, several of which are vulnerable to the spread of aggressive weeds. Within Auckland City the species has virtually been eliminated by excessive plant collecting, a factor which also threatens it in the Wellington region. Populations within the geothermal fields of the Bay of Plenty are at serious risk from the spread of taller weed species, especially grasses, such as Indian doab (Cynodon dactylon).
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Doodia caudata Baker; Doodia caudata var. squarrosa (Colenso) C.Chr.; Blechnum zeelandicum 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
Easy from fresh spores. Very fast growing and an excellent pot plant. Does well in a variety of soils, light levels and moisture regimes but intolerant of weeds.
Other information
Etymology
doodia: Named for Samuel Doody, 17th century London apothecary and curator
squarrosa: Rough, with scale-like projections; from the Latin squarrosus; leaves and leaf stalks
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.
DOOSQU
Chromosome number
2n = 128
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 | Gradual Decline
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, PF, RR, 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 prepared 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 squarrosa Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/doodia-squarrosa/ (Date website was queried)