Notogrammitis crassior
Common names
dwarf strap fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Terrestrial or rupestral fern. Rhizome long-creeping (rarely short-creeping), often mat-forming; paleae light brown, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, rarely lanceolate, obtuse to acute, 1.0–3.5 × 0.4–1.2 mm. Stipes indistinct, winged almost to base; stipe hairs absent. Lamina (4)–5–19–(30) × (2)–2.5–3.4–(5) mm; spathulate to linear-spathulate, rarely broadly oblanceolate, obtuse to broadly acute; lamina hairs occasionally present, sparse, brown, multicellular, to 0.7 mm; texture thickly coriaceous; veins invisible, endings not darkened; midrib slightly raised or completely invisible on underside of lamina, concolorous. Sori subglobose to globose, sometimes ± coenosoroid, usually confluent when mature, usually terminal on frond, 1–4–(5) pairs, 1–3 × 1–2 mm, to 8 mm long when coenosoroid; soral vein ± equal in length to basiscopic vein, neither reaching the margin. Sporangia (240)–252.5–319.1–(400) μm long; indurated cells of annulus (10)–11–14–(20). Spores (31)–39.2–53.6–(65) μm diameter.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from the other New Zealand species of Notogrammitis by the combination of having a creeping rhizome, fronds 5–19 × 2–3.4 mm, these usually bearing < 3 pairs of sori; with the sori 1–3 mm long and subglobose to globose.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (Mt Hikurangi south but generally scarce), South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku, Macquarie Island. Also known from Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania), South America (Chile, Argentina), Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cuntha, Gough Island, South Africa, Kerguelen Island, Marion Island, Crozet Island.
Habitat
Coastal to alpine (strictly subalpine to alpine in the North Island) mostly in the wetter parts of the main islands of New Zealand. A common fern on boulders and cliff faces, earth banks and stony soils and stream banks. Rarely extends into forest and then only in the southern part of its range
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
Polypodium billardieri var. pumilum (J.B.Armstr.) Cheeseman; Polypodium billardierei f. nana (Franchet) Skottsb.; Grammitis australis var. alpina S.Jones; Grammitis australis var. nana Franchet; Polypodium australe var. pumilum (J.B.Armstr.) Cockayne; Polypodium crassium Kirk; Polypodium pumilum (J.B.Armstr.) Cockayne; Grammitis kerguelenensis Tardieu; Grammitis nana Brack.; Grammitis pumila J.B.Armstr.; Grammitis armstrongii Tindale; Polypodium australe var. minutum F.Muell.
Taxonomic notes
The New Zealand species of Grammitis along with Ctenopteris heterophylla and one Australian Grammitis (G. garrettii) one Lord Howe (G. diminuta) and one species endemic to the Moluccas and Indonesian (G. kairatuensis) have traditionally been placed in Grammitis (Parris & Given 1976; Parris 1998). However, these species (with the exception of G. diminuta, G. kairatuensis and G. stenophylla; B.S.Parris pers. comm. to P.J. de Lange January 2011) have now been transferred to a new genus, Notogrammitis Parris (Perrie & Parris 2012). Notogrammitis crassior is the fern that has been known in New Zealand for some time, incorrectly (see Perrie & Parris 2012) as Grammitis poepiggiana.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild
Other information
Etymology
notogrammitis: From the Greek noto- ‘southern’ and gramma ‘line’, referring to this new genus of southern strap ferns which were previously in Grammitis.
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.
NOTCRA
Chromosome number
2n = 74
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
Regional conservation statuses
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Otago: 2024 | Regionally Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Parris BS. 1998. Grammitidaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 450–468. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Parris BS, Given DR. 1976. A taxonomic revision of Grammitis Sw. (Grammitidaceae: Filicales) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 14(1): 85–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1976.10428655.
Perrie LR, Parris BS. 2012. Chloroplast DNA sequences indicate the grammitid ferns (Polypodiaceae) in New Zealand belong to a single clade, Notogrammitis gen. nov. New Zealand Journal of Botany 50(4): 457–472. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2012.735247.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (25 April 2011). Description from Parris & Given (1976).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Notogrammitis crassior Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/notogrammitis-crassior/ (Date website was queried)