Hymenophyllum revolutum
Common names
filmy fern
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Epiphytic and/or terrestrial fern forming, in ideal situations, extensive turf-like patches. Rhizomes long-creeping, very thin, much-branched and interwoven, wiry when fresh, brittle when dry. Fronds light green. Stipes 5–30 mm long, thin, brittle, glabrescent, not winged; rachis narrowly winged in upper portion. Laminae 10–90 × 5–20 mm, narrowly elliptic to ovate, 2–3-pinnate. Ultimate segments linear to oblong, often forked, margins deeply toothed. Sori on short winged branches near rachis, 1 on acroscopic margin of each primary pinnae. Indusial flaps deeply toothed, teeth irregular. (Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000)).
Similar taxa
Morphologically similar to Hymenophyllum cupressiforme and H. peltatum, species from which it is distinguished by its partially winged rachis and by the very deeply toothed indusial flaps.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Found throughout New Zealand usually in closed forest where it most commonly epiphytic but also found on rocks, cliff faces, fallen logs, on moss covered hummocks and sometimes on the ground.
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
Hymenophyllum tunbridgense var. cupressiforme sensu Hook.; Hymenophyllum pusillum Colenso; Hymenophyllum tunbridgense sensu A.Rich.; Hymenophyllum zeelandicum Bosch
Endemic taxon
Yes
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
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.
HYMREV
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
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally 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.
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 Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Hymenophyllum revolutum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/hymenophyllum-revolutum/ (Date website was queried)