Tmesipteris lanceolata
Common names
fork fern
Biostatus
Native
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Ferns
Detailed description
Rhizome brittle, dichotomously branched, 1–2 mm diameter, covered with dark brown rhizoids. Aerial shoot simple, pendulous, 40–200 mm long; sporophylls spirally arranged, leaves distichously arranged, terminating in a large appendage slightly shorter, equal to, or longer than the largest leaves developed. Leaves subcoriaceous to coriaceous, margin often thickened; dorsiventral, upper surface shiny or glossy deep green or pale green, lower surface dull green covered with stomata; shape ovate to ovate-oblong, apex acute or sometimes ± obtuse, mucro short, thick, 1.0–1.5 mm long; 6–25 × 2–8 mm broad. Sporophylls 3–6 per 10 mm of stem usually restricted to the lower ½ of the shoot although in small specimens they may occur throughout. Synangium 2–4 × 1–2 mm; lobes equal or the proximal one slightly smaller ± globular, yellowish brown at maturity, persistent. Spores pale yellow released in a mass, anisopolar, bilateral, monolete, foveolate, concavo-convex, 50–72 × 17–30 μm.
Similar taxa
Distinguished from the three other named fork ferns by the combination of: testiculate synangia; sterile leaves distichously arranged; leaves ovate to ovate-oblong, coriaceous, apex acute; sporophylls restricted to the lower half of the shoot.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec Islands (Raoul Island) North Island (from Te Paki to about Gisborne and Tataraimaka on the Taranaki Coast), Chatham Islands. Also present in Australia (Queensland—scarce) and New Caledonia
Habitat
Coastal to montane, though mostly lowland. Epiphytic, mostly on tree ferns (especially Alsophila spp.), very rarely on tree trunks.
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
Tmesipteris forsteri sensu A.Cunn. nom. inv., Tmesipteris tannensis sensu Sahni nom. inv., Tmesipteris tannensis var. lanceolata (P.A.Dang.) Domin
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Propagation technique
Difficult—should not be removed from the wild.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
Etymology
tmesipteris: From the Greek tmesis (cutting) and pteris (fern), alluding to the forked appendages on fertile fronds
lanceolata: Lance-shaped
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.
TMELAN
Chromosome number
2n = 208
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
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Chinnock RJ. 1975. The New Zealand Species of Tmesipteris (Psilotaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 13(4): 743–768. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.1975.10430356.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (June 2009). Description adapted from Chinnock (1975).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Tmesipteris lanceolata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/tmesipteris-lanceolata/ (Date website was queried)