Paesia scaberula
Common names
lace fern, ring fern, scented fern, pig fern
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Flower colours
No flowers
Detailed description
Terrestrial ferns. Rhizome long-creeping, much branched, stiff and somewhat brittle, 1–2 mm diameter, chesnut-brown, densely clad in slender red-brown, bristly hairs. Stipes 50–400 × 1–2 mm, stiff, muricate to almost smooth, densely clade in slender, bristly, red-brown hairs (especially near base) and short, glandular, yellow hairs in upper portion. Rhachis strongly to slightly zig-zagged, strongly muricate to smooth. Laminae 2–3–4-pinnate, 100–800 × 50–350 mm, deltoid to ovate or elliptic, stiffly coriaceous to subcoriaceous, adaxially yellow-green to yellow, abaxially, covered by numerous, short, glandular hairs, midirbs bearing bristly red-brown hairs; veins obscure, free. Pinnae finely dissected, primary pinnae shortly stalked, 70–200 × 30–50 mm, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate. Secondary pinnae shortly stalked, up to 25 × 10 mm, lanceolate. Segments decurrent, pinnatisect to almost pinnate, up to 5 × 2 mm, narrow, sharply toothed or incised, often apiculate. Sori usually copious, extending along both margins of segments, but not reaching base or apex; true indusium delicate, often vestigial.
Similar taxa
Easily distinguished by the yellow-green to yellow, glandular sticky, finely dissected, fragrant fronds, zig-zagged rachises and elongated marginal sori, protected by an inrolled, scarious lamina on the outside of the ultimate segments and a membranous (sometimes almost vestigial) indusium on the inside of the ultimate segments.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. An often common fern of open or distrubed ground, rough pasture, grassland or reverting farmland—where it often is considered a serious pest.
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
Pteris scaberula A.Rich., Allosorus scaberulus (A.Rich.) C.Presl, Ornithopteris scaberula (A.Rich.) J.Sm., Pteris microphylla A.Cunn.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
Not applicable—spore producing
Fruiting
Not applicable—spore producing
Propagation technique
A weedy fern that often self establishes in gardens. Prefers a sunny, open situation and is tolerant of a range of soil types.
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]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
paesia: After the Portuguese Duke fernando Dias Paes lele, commander in South America in the 17th Century
scaberula: A little roughened; from the Latin scaber, leaves
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.
PAESCA
Chromosome number
2n = 52
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan HH. 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Volume I. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. Government Printer, Wellington, NZ. 1085 p.
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 (8 November 2012). Description adapted from Allan (1961) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Paesia scaberula Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/paesia-scaberula/ (Date website was queried)