Notogrammitis heterophylla
Common names
taupeka, comb fern
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Epiphytic or rupestral shortly rhizomatous fern forming tufted patches. Frond produced in two rows. Lamina (25)–87–191–(300) mm long, (3)–18–57–(100) mm wide. Pinnae (3)–12–21–(36) pairs; longest pinnae (1)–10–40–(63) mm long, 1.5–7.5 mm wide, apically truncate to acuminate, herbaceous to thickly coriaceous; margins entire or with primary and secondary lobules; hairs 0.2–0.8 mm long, whitish to pale red-brown, catenate, simple, glandular to eglandular, or whitish to pale red-brown, forked, abaxially on rachis, sometimes on both surfaces of lamina and margins. Sori on (2)–8–15–(22) pairs of pinnae.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands, Auckland Islands. Also Australia.
Habitat
Coastal to subalpine. Usually epiphytic but also common on cliff faces, boulders in forest and on sheltered rocks within talus and scree.
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
Grammitis heterophylla Labill.; Xiphopteris heterophylla (Labill.) Spreng.; Gymnogramma billardierei Kaulf.; Polypodium billardierei Fée; Polypodium grammitidis R.Br.; Ctenopteris grammitidis (R.Br.) J.Sm.; Grammitis grammitidis (R.Br.) Keyserl.; Polypodium grammitidis R.Br.; Ctenopteris heterophylla (Labill.) Tindale
Taxonomic notes
As Ctenopteris heterophylla, Notogrammitis heterophylla was always regarded as very similar to New Zealand Grammitis (all now Notogrammitis) from which it was largely distinguished by its divided frond. However, occasional hybrids between Ctenopteris heterophylla and both Grammitis billardierei and G. ciliata (now Notogrammitis billardierei and N. ciliata respectively), both with varying levels of fertility (i.e. not completely sterile) have been recorded from the wild (Parris 1977; de Lange & Rolfe 2011), and these suggested a very close relationship between Ctenopteris heterophylla and what is now Notogrammitis.
Subsequently the New Zealand species of Grammitis along with Ctenopteris heterophylla and one Australian Grammitis (G. garrettii) were transferred to a new genus, Notogrammitis Parris (Perrie & Parris 2012).
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
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
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild
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]
UPL: Obligate Upland
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands (non-wetlands).
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.
heterophylla: Varied leaves; from the Greek heteros and phullon
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.
NOTHET
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
de Lange PJ, Rolfe JR. 2011. Vascular flora of Maungaraho Rock. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin 53: 11–22.
Parris BS. 1977. A naturally occurring intergeneric hybrid in Grammitidaceae (Filicales): Ctenopteris heterophylla × Grammitis billardieri. New Zealand Journal of Botany 15(4): 597–599. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1977.10429633.
Parris BS. 1998. Grammitidaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 450–468. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
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.
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 (Updated 10 April 2011). Description from Parris (1998)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Notogrammitis heterophylla Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/notogrammitis-heterophylla/ (Date website was queried)