Polyphlebium venosum
Common names
veined bristle fern, veined filmy fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Epiphytic (rarely terrestrial) fern usually forming dense carpets on suitable substrates. Rhizomes 0.2–0.8 mm diameter, widely creeping, much-branched and interwoven; densely hairy, hairs long, golden brown. Fronds 20–180 mm long, bright green, translucent, venation conspicuous. Stipe 8–55 mm long, slender, not winged. Rachises winged. Lamina 20–110 × 15–65 mm, lanceolate to elliptic, somewhat irregular, 1-pinnatifid, 1(–2)-pinnate, glabrescent (hairs when present unbranched). Ultimate segments 1.5–6.0 mm wide; margins crenate; apex obtuse, truncate, often notched; veins pinnately branched; false veins absent. Sori immersed in short basal acroscopic lobes; involucre narrowly cylindrical. tapering to base, 1.5–4.0 × 0.8–1.2 mm, narrowly winged; mouth broadly dilated, sometimes bilabiate; receptacle exserted up to 10 mm beyond mouth.
Similar taxa
Polyphlebium venosum is easily recognised by the bright green, translucent, prominently veined fronds.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec (Raoul Island), North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Chatham Islands. Also Australia.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. A widespread and common filmy fern in the wetter parts of New Zealand. This species is usually found in closed forest where it the characteristic epiphyte of tree fern (Cyathea and Dicksonia spp.) trunks, though it will colonise other suitable trees. It is also found on rock faces, amongst moss on boulders, in tree caves and very rarely on damp, moss and liverwort encrusted ground.
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 | Qualifiers: SO
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Hymenophyllaceae
Synonyms
Trichomanes venosum R.Br., Crepidomanes venosum (R.Br.) Bostock, Phlebiophyllum venosum (R.Br.) Bosch;
Taxonomic notes
NZPCN now follows Ebihara et al. (2006) in recognising Polyphlebium as distinct from Trichomanes. Although Brownsey & Perrie (2016) rejected this idea, the generic segregation was adopted by the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (2016) and is now widely followed throughout the world.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Etymology
venosum: Veined; from the latin vena; conspicuous veins
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.
POLVEN
Chromosome number
2n = 72
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Bostock PD, Spokes TM. 1998. Hymenophyllaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 116–148. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Brownsey PJ, Perrie LR. 2016. Hymenophyllaceae. In: Breitwieser I, Heenan PB, Wilton AD. Flora of New Zealand - Ferns and Lycophytes. Fascicle 15. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln, NZ. https://doi.org/10.7931/B1QP4Z.
Ebihara A, Dubuisson, J-Y, Iwatsuki K, Hennequin S, Ito M. 2006. A taxonomic revision of the Hymenophyllaceae. Blumea 51: 2–57. https://doi.org/10.3767/000651906X622210.
PPG 1: The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group 2016. A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54: 563–603. https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12229.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (23 April 2011) based on Bostock & Spokes (1998).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Polyphlebium venosum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/polyphlebium-venosum/ (Date website was queried)