Lateristachys lateralis
Synonyms
Lycopodium laterale R.Br.; Lycopodium consimilis Colenso; Lycopodiella lateralis (R.Br.) B.Øllg.; Lepidotis lateralis (R.Br.) Rothm.
Family
Lycopodiaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lycophytes (clubmosses, selaginella, quillworts)
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.
LYCLAS
Chromosome number
2n = c.122
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North, South and Chatham Islands. Also Australia and New Caledonia. Common from Te Paki to the Waikato otherwise scarce in the North Island. In the South Island known from North-West Nelson to Wesport. Common on Rekohu (Chatham Island) but scarce on Rangiauria (Pitt Island).
Habitat
Coastal to montane in peat bogs, gumland and other open, poorly drained shrublands.
Features
Main stems up to 200 mm or more long, rooting at intervals. Aerial stems up to 60 mm long, erect, rigid or somewhat flaccid. Branchlet systems scattered or grouped, erect or sometimes lax, 80-500 mm long, unbranched or branched once or twice. Sterile leaves densely spirally arranged, imbricate, spreading or recurved towards tips, linear-subulate to linear-lanceolate, 4-8 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, dull pale green, yellow-green to yellow, or reddish-brown bases decurrent. Strobili solitary, to 30 mm long, chocolate brown, erect, lateral on main stem or terminal on short lateral branches, sessile. Sporophylls imbricate, ovate, acuminate, spreading at maturity, brown; margins lacerate to irregularly serrate. Description adapted from Chinnock (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished from Brownseya serpentina with which it sometimes grows by the sessile, chocolate brown cones borne on small or long lateral branches. In its extreme form it is easily distinguished from Lateristachys diffusa by the erect, undivided or sparingly forked aerial stems, and by the strobili which are overtopped by vegetative shoots. Lateristachys diffusa has prostrate, spreading branches that are dichotomously-branched with the strobili aligned at ± right angles to the prostrate branches. However, peat bog forms of L. lateralis are extremely difficult to separate from L. diffusa and it is felt that both species intergrade in the northern South Island (see Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth 2000). Regardless Australian treat both species as unquestionably distinct (Chinnock 1998).
Flowering
N.A.
Flower colours
No flowers
Fruiting
N.A.
Propagation technique
Transplants can be grown moderately easily if planted in peat within a pot which is then kept partially immersed in a tub of water.
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 16 March 2011. Description adapted from Chinnock (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
References and further reading
Brownsey, P.J.; Smith-Dodsworth, J.C. 2000: New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. Auckland, David Bateman
Chinnock, R.J. 1998: Lycopodiaceae. Flora of Australia 48: 66-85.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Lateristachys lateralis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/lateristachys-lateralis/ (Date website was queried)