Trichomanes venosum
Common name
veined bristle fern, veined filmy fern
Synonyms
Crepidomanes venosum (R.Br.) Bostock, Phlebiophyllum venosum (R.Br.) Bosch; Polyphlebium venosum (R.Br.) Copel.
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.
TRIVEN
Chromosome number
2n = 72
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
Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec (Raoul Island), North, South, Stewart and 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.
Features
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
Trichomanes venosum is easily recognised by the bright green, translucent, prominently veined fronds.
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
venosum: Veined; from the latin vena; conspicuous veins
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 (23 April 2011) based on Bostock & Spokes (1998)
References and further reading
Bostock, P.D.; Spokes, T.M. 1998: Hymenophyllaceae: Flora of Australia 48: 116-148.
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 venosum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/trichomanes-venosum/ (Date website was queried)