Pteris tremula
Common names
shaking brake, tender brake, Australian bracken
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Stout terrestrial ferns. Rhizomes short, erect, apex covered with long narrow, pale brown scales. Fronds dimorphic, tufted. Stipes 0.15–0.6 m long, glabrous (rarely with a few narrow basal scales), red-brown or black, often basally so and then red-yellow for rest of length. Laminae 0.3–1.2 × 0.2–0.7 m, bright green, yellow-green or yellow, ovate, ovate-deltoid, 3–4-pinnate at base, membranous, rachis red-brown or yellow-green. Pinnae overlapping; most secondary pinnae stalked or sessile. Ultimate sterile segments 6–38 × 3 mm wide, linear, apices blunt margins toothed; ultimate fertile segments 5–35 × 1–2 mm, linear, apices blunt, margins toothed. Veins free, simple or 1–2-forked. Sori ± continuous on a marginal vein, but absent from bases and apices of ultimate segments, protected by membranous inrolled pinna margins.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from the other species of Pteris indigenous or naturalised in New Zealand by the lamina which has free veins, 3–4-pinnate laminae at the base and 3-pinnate at the middle. It is perhaps superficially most similar to the uncommon naturalised Pteris dentata Forssk.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec Islands (Raoul, Meyers and Macauley Islands), Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, North Island, South Island, Chatham Islands. Also Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe, Norfolk and Fiji.
Habitat
Coastal to montane (in northern part of range) in open, dry forest, scrub, wasteland, along track and roadsides and on retaining walls and similar sites in built up areas.
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
Pteridaceae
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Very easily grown, often naturalising in gardens and becoming weedy (and may even self establish in urban areas from spores blown in from elsewhere). Very fast growing and tolerate of most conditions except waterlogged soils and heavy shade.
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
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.
PTETRE
Chromosome number
2n = c.240
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Brownsey PJ, Smith-Dodsworth JC. 2000. New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. David Bateman, Auckland, NZ. 168 p.
Kramer KU, McCarthy PM. 1998. Pteridaceae. Flora of Australia 48, Ferns Gymnosperms and allied groups: 241–248. ABRS/CSIRO Victoria, Australia.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (17 January 2012). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000) and Kramer & McCarthy (1998).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Pteris tremula Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/pteris-tremula/ (Date website was queried)