Hymenophyllum sanguinolentum
Common names
filmy fern, piripiri
Biostatus
Native
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: TO
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Terrestrial or epiphytic fern forming dense patches on suitable substrates. Rhizomes long-creeping, slender. Frond dark green, strongly aromatic, scent somewhat sanguinely metallic (especially when dry). Stipes 20–90 mm long, slender; stipes and rachises sparsely hairy especially toward and at base, narrowly winged for most of length, black, wing often zig-zagged in upper portion. Laminae 50–250–(300) × 30–120 mm, ovate, elliptic to elliptic-deltoid, 3–4-pinnate, glabrescent. Ultimate segments 8–12 mm wide, oblong, margins entire though often slightly undulose toward distal portion of frond. Sori on short branches in distal portion of frond, many borne on each primary pinna. Indusium ovoid to ovoid-elliptic, abaxially crested by 3–(5) longitudinal ridges; indusial flaps entire. Receptacle included.
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished when fertile by the crest backs of the indusium. Sterile material can be recognised by the black zig-zagged rachis wing and smooth pinna margins. Sodden or dried material smells strongly like dried blood (or, as some people sense it, like wet rusted iron). Pressed specimens stain paper yellow-brown or dark brown. Hymenophyllum sanguinolentum is very similar to H. villosum. Hymenophyllum villosum is restricted to upper montane and subalpine habitats but it may be found growing with H. sanguinolentum. From that species H. villosum differs by its hairy lamina and ellipsoid indusia whose abaxial surfaces are smooth, never crested like those of H. sanguinolentum.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand; Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura. Also Cook Islands (Rarotonga). Previously regarded as endemic to New Zealand, Hymenophyllum sanguinolentum was discovered on Rarotonga in July 2010.
Habitat
Coastal to subalpine. A very common and widespread species of closed or open forest and shrub-land. Also a common species of shaded canyon walls, cliff faces, rock tors, boulder-field and talus slopes. Hymenophyllum sanguinolentum is extremely drought resistant and as such one of the few filmy ferns to grow within drought-prone habitats.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Mecodium sanguinolentum (G. Forst.) C. Presl; Trichomanes sanguinolentum G.Forst.; Hymenophyllum polyanthos var. sanguinolentum (G.Forst.) Hook. ex Hook.f.; Hymenophyllum sanguinolentum var. lophocarpum (Colenso) Domin; Hymenophyllum polyanthos sensu Raoul; Sphaerocionium sanguinolentum (G.Forst.) C.Presl; Hymenophyllum cristulatum Rosenst.; Hymenophyllum lophocarpum Colenso
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
Etymology
hymenophyllum: Membranous leaf, from the Greek humen and phullon
sanguinolentum: Smelling like blood; from the Latin sanguis and olere; fern’s smell especially when dried
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.
HYMSAN
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: TO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
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.
Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened
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 “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S 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.
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 (21 April 2011). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).