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  4. Hypolepis millefolium

Hypolepis millefolium

Sabine river, January.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Sabine river, January.<br>Photographer: John Smith-Dodsworth, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
East Ahuriri.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Cobb Valley.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 17/03/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Cobb Valley.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 17/03/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Sori, Cobb Valley.<br>Photographer: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Date taken: 17/03/2016, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common names

thousand leaved fern

Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Ferns

Flower colours

No flowers

Detailed description

Rhizome subterranean, long-creeping, 1.5–3.0 mm diameter, glabrous or bearing scattered pale brown hairs (especially near growing point), stipes arising at intervals of 15–130 mm. Stipes 50–350 mm long, 1.5–3.0 mm diameter, red-brown below, pale brown above, a few pale or reddish brown hairs along stipe. Laminae rhombic, ovate or broadly ovate, 150–400–(700) × 80–250 mm, membranous to slightly coriaceous, normally tripinnate (bipinnate in smallest specimens) at apex to quadripinnate or sometimes almost 5-pinnate at base. Rachis pale brown to yellowish green, bearing pale brown or colourless eglandular hairs c. 1 mm long. Primary pinnae in 20–25 pairs, the lowest arising at 30–50° to stem, upper ones at 70–90°, opposite below, subopposite or alternate above, the longest below middle 70–260 × 35–130 mm; lowest pinnae 35–150 mm apart, middle pinnae 15–50 mm apart; upper pinna narrowly ovate, lower ones ovate, midrib narrowly winged towards apices. Secondary pinnae narrowly ovate to ovate, midribs broadly winged, 25–80 × 10–35 mm, those on the lower pinnae decreasing in length along the pinnae. Tertiary pinnae 5–20 × 3–10 mm, 2-6 deep serrations per pinnule. Quaternary pinnae 0.1–0.5 × 0.1–0.4 mm, sometimes deeply divided. Hairs: glistening, colourless, scattered along midribs of pinnae and pinnules, on both surfaces, up to 1 mm long. Veins reaching margin at tooth apex. Sori: one on each ultimate segment, though often absent from lowest two pairs of pinnae, originating away from margin, unprotected at maturity or partially covered by a green reflexed marginal flap. Spores pale brown, echinate.

Similar taxa

Hypolepis millefolium is easily recognised on account of its brittle, vivid bright green to yellow-green and finely divided (‘lacy’) fronds. From other New Zealand Hypolepis it is also distinguished by the unprotected (or scarcely so) sorus; brittle stipes and fertile fronds which are 1.5–5.0 mm diameter; absence (or near absence) of glandular hairs; by the laminae of the fertile fronds > 400 × 250 mm, with the ultimate segments < 1 mm wide; and by the complete absence of hairs from the sorus.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Mt Pirongia and East Cape south, though mostly from the Central Volcanic Plateau, Mt Egmont and main axial ranges. One unusual, North Island lowland record from a roadside near Kihikihi may have came from plants that temporarily established there from road machinery that had been used to work the Western Taupo Road where this fern is common), South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands, Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands and Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku.

Habitat

Coastal to alpine, In northern part of range virtually confined to montane–alpine areas but descending to sea level on the Subantarctic islands. Hypolepis millefolium is a common fern of grassland and rock strewn slopes. It also extends into scrub and forest. On the Chatham Islands it grew in restiad peat bogs, while on the subantarctic islands it grows amongst tussock grassland and open Dracophyllum 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.

  • 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

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Dennstaedtiaceae

Authority

Hypolepis millefolium Hook.

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

Hypolepis millefolium is very attractive fern that is easily grown from fresh spores and rooted pieces. Despite its typical associated within montane to alpine habitats it can be grown easily at low elevations. Unlike many other Hypolepis, H. millefolium is less inclined to be short-lived and, as a rule is less ‘weedy’.

Other information

Etymology

hypolepis: From the greek hypo (under) and lepis (scale), referring to the position of the sori on the ferns

millefolium: Many leaved; from the Latin mille and folium

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.

HYPMIL

Chromosome number

2n = 104

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

Jump to current conservation status

Regional conservation statuses

Otago: 2024 | 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 “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Brownsey PJ, Chinnock RJ. 1984. A Taxonomic revision of the New Zealand species of Hypolepis. New Zealand Journal of Botany 22: 43–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1984.10425234.

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 (7 November 2012). Description from Brownsey & Chinnock (1984).

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Hypolepis millefolium Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/hypolepis-millefolium/ (Date website was queried)

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