Leptolepia novae-zelandiae
Common names
lace fern
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Terrestial, rhizomatous, tufted fern. Fronds set at wide intervals along shortly creeping rhizomes. Stipes 50–600 mm long; stipes and rachises red- chesnut-brown or black, hairy at base, smooth and polished above with occasional hairs at pinna junction. Laminae 150–600 × 60–300 mm, dark green (rarely yellow-green), 3–4-pinnate, ovate, elliptic, broadly elliptic or deltoid, cartilaginous, glabrous, rarely sparsely hairy. Veins free. Pinnae finely dissected, ultimate segments narrowly elliptic, apices sharply acute. Sori oval to rounded, terminating veins just inside pinnae margins; indusia deltoid, adnate at base with two margins free, these laciniate and opening towards pinnae margins.
Similar taxa
Leptolepia is superficially similar to species of Lastreopsis, from these it is easily distinguished by the almost glabrous fronds (in Lastreopsis the stipes are usually scaly, and the stipes and laminae are covered in hairs and unicellular yellow or orange glands), by the finely dissected, broad fronds, usually with the basiscopic secondary pinnae much reduced (in Lastreopsis the lower most basiscopic secondary pinna on each basal primary pinna is greatly elongated downwards). The distinctive deltoid indusia with laciniate margins opening towards the pinna margins is diagnostic for this species and genus (which is endemic to New Zealand).
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to montane confined to deeply shaded, forested sites, where it is often found on rock piles, along streams and river banks (in places where the forest overhangs the waterways) or around seepages and springs. Often uncommon, though sometimes locally abundant.
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
Dennstaedtiaceae
Synonyms
Dennstaedtia novae-zelandiae (Colenso) Keyserl.; Microlepia novae-zelandiae (Colenso) J.Sm.; Acrophorus hispidus T.Moore; Davallia novae-zelandiae Colenso
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Not applicable—spore producing
Fruiting
Not applicable—spore producing
Life cycle and dispersal
Minute spores are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown although often slow to establish. Does best in a shaded, damp site. Tolerant of wide range of soil types but will not withstand drought. Once established Leptolepia can sometimes become invasive
Other information
Etymology
leptolepia: Thin scales (covering sori)
novae-zelandiae: Of New Zealand
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.
LEPNOV
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 (17 March 2012). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Leptolepia novae-zelandiae Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/leptolepia-novae-zelandiae/ (Date website was queried)