Lateristachys lateralis
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Lycophytes (clubmosses, selaginella, quillworts)
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
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 × 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).
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (common from Te Paki to Waikato otherwise scarce), South Island (North-west Nelson to Wesport), Chatham Islands (common on Chatham Island (Rēkohu) but scarce on Pitt Island (Rangiauria). Also Australia and New Caledonia.
Habitat
Coastal to montane in peat bogs, gumland and other open, poorly drained shrublands.
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: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Lycopodium laterale R.Br.; Lycopodium consimilis Colenso; Lycopodiella lateralis (R.Br.) B.Øllg.; Lepidotis lateralis (R.Br.) Rothm.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
N.A.
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.
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]
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Where to Buy
Not commercially available
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
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: SO
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.
Chinnock RJ. 1998. Lycopodiaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 66–85. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 16 March 2011. Description adapted from Chinnock (1998) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
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)