Hymenophyllum scabrum
Common names
rough filmy fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Epiphytic and/or terrestrial fern forming widely spaced tufts of fronds along a long-creeping, slender but pliant and wiry sparsely to densely hairy rhizome. Frond dark green to olive green. Stipe 40–150–(200) mm long, stout, not winged, densely covered in bristly hairs; rachises narrowly winged in upper part, covered in copious bristly hairs. Laminae 100–400 × 50–140 mm, ovate, ovate-deltoid, 3–4-pinnate, densely to sparsely bristly hairy when young. Ultimate segments linear, margins entire. Sori terminating ultimate segments, not sunk in lamina, many on each primary pinna. Indusium broadly ovoid to almost orbicular, abaxial surfaces smooth; indusial flaps minutely toothed.
Similar taxa
A distinctive species readily identified by the large, dark green or olive green ovate to ovate-deltoid fronds and conspicuously bristly hairy stipes. Drying and dried specimens usually faintly stain paper brown or yellow-brown.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Usually in closed forest where it may be epiphytic or found growing on rotting logs, on moss hummocks, boulders or on the ground. Occasionally found in closed scrub.
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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Hymenophyllaceae
Synonyms
Mecodium scabrum (A. Rich.) Copel.; Sphaerocionium scabrum (A.Rich.) C.Presl; Diplooephyllum scabrum (A.Rich.) Bosch; Sphaerocionium glanduliferum C.Presl;
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Life cycle
Minute spores are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
hymenophyllum: Membranous leaf, from the Greek humen and phullon
scabrum: Rough, covered with hard short rigid points
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.
HYMSCA
Chromosome number
2n = 72, 144
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
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.
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).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Hymenophyllum scabrum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/hymenophyllum-scabrum/ (Date website was queried)