Leptolepia novae-zelandiae
Common name
lace fern
Synonyms
Dennstaedtia novae-zelandiae (Colenso) Keyserl.; Microlepia novae-zelandiae (Colenso) J.Sm.; Acrophorus hispidus T.Moore; Davallia novae-zelandiae Colenso
Family
Dennstaedtiaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Ferns
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
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
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.
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.
Features
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).
Flowering
Not applicable - spore producing
Flower colours
No flowers
Fruiting
Not applicable - spore producing
Life cycle
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
Etymology
leptolepia: Thin scales (covering sori)
novae-zelandiae: Of New Zealand
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (17 March 2012). Description adapted from 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
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309
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)