Pteris carsei
Common names
coastal brake, netted brake
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Terrestrial ferns. Rhizomes short, erect, scaly. Stipes 0.25-0.6 m long, pale brown, glabrous or scaly at very base. Laminae 0.2–1.8 × 0.15–0.9 m, dark green to yellow-green, 2–3-pinnate at base, ovate, coriaceous, veins reticulate. Pinnae not overlapping; most lower secondary pinnae adnate. Ultimate segments 10–55 × 5–10 mm, oblong, apices tapering or bluntly pointed, margins toothed. Sori continuous along pinna margins on a marginal vein, protected by a membranous inrolled pinna margins.
Similar taxa
Pteris carsei is easily distinguished from all other New Zealand Pteris except P. epaleata by the coriaceous (leathery) fronds, reticulate venation, overlapping pinnae and large ultimate segments. Pteris saxatilis differs by the very widely spaced primary and secondary pinnae; laminae 0.15–0.5 × 0.12–0.25 m, and the ultimate segments up to 15 × 5 mm. Pteris saxatilis hybridises freely with P. carsei. Pteris maclienta is distinguished from both species by the less widely spaced primary and secondary pinnae; laminae 0.25–0.9 × 0.15–0.5 mm, and the ultimate segments up to 15 × 5 mm. It is unclear whether Pteris maclienta forms hybrids with P. carsei or P. saxatilis. Pteris epaleata differs from P. carsei by characters of the indumentum and frond division. The indumentum on the abaxial side of the rachis, costae and costules in Pteris epaleata comprises uniseriate hairs or sometimes occasional linear scales that are 2–3–(4) cells broad at the base. In Pteris carsei, the rachis and costae have uniseriate hairs and some triangular scales that are several cells wide at the base. Pteris epaleata can be further distinguished from P. carsei and from P. macilenta and P. saxatilis by its dull adaxial frond surface. Pteris carsei also usually has broader ultimate segments (4–28 mm wide) than P. epaleata (1.0–5.5 mm wide) and P. carsei in New Zealand is usually confined to coastal areas (on Raoul Island it extends to 500 m.a.s.l.), whereas P. epaleata can extend further inland, including into mountainous areas.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Kermadec Islands (Raoul Island, the Meyers Islands and Macauley Island), Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island (from North Cape to Bay of Plenty in the east and Awhitu Peninsula in the west with an outlying population near Mokau).
Habitat
Coastal in forest especially on the sides of gullies, on banks and in valley heads. A very common offshore island fern.
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
Pteris comans G.Forst. (misapplied name)
Taxonomic notes
Pteris carsei has long been known in New Zealand as P. comans a species which actually occurs in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji (and possibly New Caledonia). The usage of the name for the New Zealand plant stemmed from an error made by the Georg Forster who stated he collected the type from New Zealand when it actually came from Tanna Island (Brownsey et al. 2020). A form of Pteris found along the North-west Nelson and northern Westland coastline, often on calcareous rocks, and sometimes extending well inland in karst country has also been placed within a broad concept of P. comans or P. maclienta by various fern experts. This form is apparently closest to the Australian form of P. comans (J.E. Braggins pers. comm.) and has been listed in past Threatened and Uncommon New Zealand Vascular Plant listings as Pteris aff. macilenta (AK 210045; Punakaiki) (see de Lange et al. 2009). It was removed from that list in 2009 because it is now known to be more widespread than had been believed. Nevertheless it warrants further study.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Results vary with some people finding Pteris carsei easy to grow and others well nigh impossible. Pteris carsei resents cold conditions and seems to do best in a semi-shaded, light, sandy, but moist soil.
Other information
Etymology
pteris: A fern known to the ancient Greeks; from the Greek pteris
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.
PTECRS
Chromosome number
2n = 58, 60
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
Auckland: 2025 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
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
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.
Brownsey PJ, Braggins J, Perrie L. 2020. Pteris carsei (Pteridaceae), a new endemic fern from New Zealand previously treated as P. comans G.Forst.,
New Zealand Journal of Botany 58(3): 214–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2019.1701503.
de Lange PJ, Norton DA, Courtney SP, Heenan PB, Barkla JW, Cameron EK, Hitchmough RA, Townsend AJ. 2009. Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47(1): 61–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/00288250909509794.
Attribution
Fact sheet [repared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (17 January 2012). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pteris carsei Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pteris-carsei/ (Date website was queried)