Lindsaea viridis
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Bright green tufted fern with pendulous heavily divided narrow fronds, occurring either as solitary plants or large patches in permanently damp places. Rhizomes short-creeping, ascending, scaly. Stipes 30–120 mm long, purplish brown. Fronds bright green, narrowly elliptic, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 2–3-pinnate, 40–300 × 10–50 mm, pendulous, bright green. Pinnae in 7–20 pairs, aside from the basal 1–2 pairs overlapping. Ultimate segments 4–7 × 1–25 mm, broadest above the middle, blunt-ended, with smooth or toothed margins. Sori at ends of ultimate segments, almost round or broader than long. Indusia oblong to elongated cream to light green coloured, margins smooth or toothed.
Similar taxa
Rather distinctive and unlikely to be confused with any other New Zealand fern species, especially because of the habitat which it occupies. However, it could be confused with the forest dwelling L. trichomanoides. Aside from its ecology that species differs from L. viridis by its upright, less divided, wider fronds bearing fewer pinnules which scarcely (if ever) overlap with the adjoining pairs, and by its much longer creeping rhizomes.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands. In the North Island from Te-Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island and Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) south to Taranaki, Lake Taupo and the northern Hawke’s Bay. In the South Island present from the Marlborough Sounds south to and west to Jacksons Bay.
Habitat
A rheophytic species favouring the flood zone of steep-sided streams, rivers and deep gorges. It usually grows with its roots immersed in flowing water, or in damp seepages, or permanently damp but draining moss lined cliff faces. It has also been found to be locally abundant along the bases of ignimbritic cliffs lining the shores of Lake Taupō / Taupōmoana, where it grows just within the spray zone of the lake—often with Hymenophyllum australe.
Threats
This species is a naturally uncommon, sparsely distributed fern, which on occasion (such as the western cliff lined shores of Lake Taupō / Taupōmoana) can be extremely common, but which is more usually known at any particular site by a handful of plants. As such at some locations it is extremely vulnerable to over collection.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Odontosoria viridis (Colenso) Kuhn; Sphenomeris viridis (Colenso) Brownlie; Stenoloma viride (Colenso) C.Chr.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Not applicable—spore producing
Fruiting
Not applicable—spore producing
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild
Other information
Etymology
lindsaea: Named after John Lindsay, 19th century British surgeon who discovered fern spore
viridis: From the Latin viridis ‘green’
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.
LINVIR
Chromosome number
2n = c.176
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Sparse
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, PF, RR
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
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.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (June 2005). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).