Trichomanes elongatum
Common name
bristle fern
Synonyms
Selenodesmium elongatum (A.Cunn.) Copel., Abrodictyum elongatum (A.Cunn.) Ebihara et K.Iwats.
Family
Hymenophyllaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Ferns
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.
TRIELO
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North, South and Chatham Islands. Scarce on the Chatham Islands where it is only known from Rekohu (Chatham Islands)
Habitat
Coastal to montane in closed and open forest and gumland scrub. Usually on semi-shaded mossy clay banks, in overhangs on rock, soil, clay or along stream side banks. Often in rather dry or seasonally dry, semi-shaded sites. This species appears to resent poorly drained habitats.
Features
Terrestrial tufted fern. Rhizomes short, stout, erect, bearing numerous dark brown hairs. Fronds submembranous, ± cartilaginous, dark olive-green, adaxially glossy, surfaces often covered in epiphyllous liverworts and mosses. Stipes 50-200 mm long. Rachises winged only near apices. Laminae 60-150 × deltoid, 3-pinnate. Primary and secondary pinnae overlapping, stalked; ultimate segments broad, deeply toothed, the veins forking several times in each. Sori sessile, borne in notches of lamina segments, several on each primary pinnae. Indusia tubular, mouth slightly flared, receptacle exserted.
Similar taxa
Easily recognised by the erect rhizome, deltoid, dark olive-green fronds (which often support epiphyllous bryophytes), and by the conspicuous tubular indusia bearing brown hair-like, bristly well exserted receptacles.
Flowering
N.A.
Flower colours
No flowers
Fruiting
N.A.
Propagation technique
Difficult - should not be removed from the wild
Etymology
trichomanes: From the ancient Greek name used by Theophrastus and Dioscorides, for a type of fern; refers to the slender hair projecting from each spore case
elongatum: Elongate
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Taxonomic Notes
Previously NZPCN had followed Ebihara et al. (2006) in recognising Abrodictyum as distinct from Trichomanes - recently Brownsey & Perrie (2016) have rejected this idea favouring a return to the past broad circumscription of Trichomanes used in New Zealand.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (21 April 2011). Description adapted from Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000).
References and further reading
Brownsey, P.J.; Smith-Dodsworth, J.C. 2000: New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. Auckland, David Bateman
Brownsey, P.J. & Perrie, L.R. 2016: Hymenophyllaceae. In: Breitwieser, I.; Heenan, P.B.; Wilton, A.D.
Flora of New Zealand - Ferns and Lycophytes. Fascicle 15. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln.
Ebihara, A.; Dubuisson, J-Y.; Iwatsuki, K.; Hennequin, S.; Ito, M. 2006: A taxonomic revision of the Hymenophyllaceae. Blumea 51: 2-57
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Trichomanes elongatum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/trichomanes-elongatum/ (Date website was queried)