Hymenophyllum lyallii
Common names
filmy fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Epiphytic (rarely rupestral) diminutive fern. Rhizome long creeping, much branched, slender, filiform, 0.1–0.2 mm diameter, dark brown to black, glossy, hairy; hairs red-brown, simple or once-forked. Frond lamina 10–50 mm long. Stipe 10–70 mm long, filiform, wiry, widely spaced; hairs similar to those of rhizome, tufted near the base, scattered above. Lamina flabellate to almost round, divided into dichotomous segments, very rarely simple, deltoid to very broadly obovate or round, 5–40 mm long × 10–30 mm wide, dull green-black to glaucous-black, membranous; conventional laminal blades present. Ultimate segments 1–20, opposite, ascending, 0.8–11 mm long × 0.8–1.8 mm wide, glabrous; margins bearing small persistent teeth with fugacious simple or forked hairs. Sori marginal, solitary or rarely in pairs, at the apex of the ultimate segments, deeply sunken in the lamina; involucre obcordate or cuneate-obconical, sometimes bilabiate, 0.5–2.3 mm long × 0.8–2.5 mm wide, apex retuse, erose or toothed, each tooth bearing a reddish forked hair; receptacle included.
Similar taxa
A very distinctive species that is nonetheless occasionally confused with reduced states of Hymenophyllum flabellatum (which has flabellate fronds) which has the rhizomes, base of the stipe copiously covered in yellow to yellow-white simple hairs (the same hairs may also be present on the abaxial surface of the fronds (especially immature expanding fronds)) and yellow-green to emerald green pinnae.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (from the Mangamuka Range and Ahipara south but mostly westerly and uncommon in the southern North Island), South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands, Auckland Islands. Also Australia.
Habitat
Lowland to montane (mostly montane in northern part of range). Usually epiphytic (rarely on rocks or mosses banks) on tree fern trunks, or at the base of trees in cloud forest, or in root and trunk caves.
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 | Qualifiers: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Sphaerocionium lyallii (Hook. f.) Hook. et Barker; Trichomanes lyallii (Hook.f.) Hook. ex Hook. et Baker;
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Life cycle and dispersal
Minute spores are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
hymenophyllum: Membranous leaf, from the Greek humen and phullon
lyallii: Named after David Lyall (1817-1895), 19th century Scottish naturalist and surgeon with the Royal Navy, who explored Antarctica, New Zealand, the Arctic and North America and was a lifelong friend of Sir Joseph Hooker.
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.
HYMLYA
Chromosome number
2n = 72
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 | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Bostock PD, Spokes TM. 1998. Hymenophyllaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 116–148. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Brownsey PJ, Smith-Dodsworth JC. 2000. New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. David Bateman, Auckland, NZ. 168 p.
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.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (11 April 2011). Description adapted from Bostock & Spokes (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Hymenophyllum lyallii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/hymenophyllum-lyallii/ (Date website was queried)