Hymenophyllum peltatum
Common names
one-sided filmy fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Terrestrial or epiphytic fern forming thick patches on suitable substrates. Rhizomes slender, filiform, long-creeping, much-branched, and interwoven. Fronds dark green (often red-green). Stipes 10–30 mm long, thin, glabrescent, not winged; rachises narrowly winged throughout (wing tapering toward base). Laminae glabrous, 20–100 × 10–25 mm, elliptic or narrowly ovate, 2-pinnate. Ultimate segments 3–6 mm long × 0.5–1.0 mm wide, linear, toothed, arising only on acroscopic side of primary pinnae. Sori 1–2–(3–5) borne on short branches arising on rachises acroscopic margin of each primary pinna. Involucre ovate to almost round, usually broader than the ultimate segment on which it is borne; indusial flaps entire (rarely finely crenate), receptacle included or slightly exserted. (Description adapted from Bostock & Spokes (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000)).
Similar taxa
Similar to Hymenophyllum revolutum with which it sometimes grows. However, H. peltatum is more usually found at higher elevations than H. revolutum. It is distinguished from H. revolutum by the completely winged rachis of the frond, secondary pinnae only arising on the acroscopic side of the primary pinnae, and by the 1–2–(3–5) sori which have smooth indusial and arise only on the primary pinna.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (from Mt Pirongia and Mt Te Aroha south), South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Macquarie Island. Also Australia.
Habitat
Lowland to montane (rarely subalpine). In the North Island confined to montane and subalpine habitats. Usually in closed forest and scrub where it is epiphytic or found growing terrestrially on moss covered logs, mossy hummocks or on rocks.
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 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Hymenophyllaceae
Synonyms
Hymenophyllum tunbridgense var. unilaterale (Willd.) G.M.Thomson; Hymenophyllum meyeri C.Presl; Hymenophyllum unilaterale Willd.; Trichomanes peltatum Poir.
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 for the wild.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Etymology
hymenophyllum: Membranous leaf, from the Greek humen and phullon
peltatum: Shield shape; from the Latin pelta
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.
HYMPEL
Chromosome number
2n = 52
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
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.
Bostock PD, Spokes TM. 1998. Hymenophyllaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 116–148. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
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 (20 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 peltatum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/hymenophyllum-peltatum/ (Date website was queried)