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West Coast Fern Fieldwork 2012, 1 – what we were doing

5 June 2012 – 1.57pm

I’m just back from 10 days collecting ferns in the South Island’s West Coast.

From previous collections, we knew of several currently unrecognised species of fern that occur on the West Coast. We investigated these records, visiting the sites to collect more material for our studies and to assess the plants in the field, including gauging population sizes for conservation rankings. Most of the previous records were old and lacked detailed locality information. This meant they took a lot of re-finding, but we were successful in most cases.

Gleichenia ferns often grow entangled with one another and with other plants; hence their common name of tangle ferns. But our understanding of them is also in a tangle. Two or three species are currently recognised in New Zealand, but I think there are at least five. The picture is of a new species. It looks similar to the others from above, but very different when viewed from below. I hope to formally describe it in a year or so. Then I will be able to show you the differences. Our fieldwork significantly extended the known occurrences of this fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Some of these poorly known ferns are uncommon. While we found some to be more widespread than previously thought, others appear to be teetering on the cusp between the Department of Conservation’s rankings of ‘At Risk’ and ‘Threatened’.

We also collected specimens of several ‘problem’ fern species, whose boundaries are unclear. They need further study, including with genetic analyses, which our new collections will facilitate.

Altogether, we collected about 170 specimens. These will begin to appear on Te Papa’s Collections Online in the next few weeks. However, there are some that we won’t be able to confidently identify without a lot more work.

With me were: Patrick Brownsey, Te Papa Research Fellow; Wendy Hogg, RSNZ Primary Science Teacher Fellow; and Mike Gemmell, VUW postgraduate student.

Other blog posts about our West Coast fern fieldwork cover:

Where we went.

Sticherus (umbrella ferns).

New, problematic, and interesting species.

Favourite photos. 

Animal miscellany. 

Te Papa’s Collections Online.

Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Field trips, Plants | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (5)

What’s this mystery object?

4 April 2012 – 11.11am

Two clues: it’s small, and has never been imaged before.

What's this?

Post any guesses below.  I’ll post the answer next week, if nobody has got it by then.

Posted in Ferns | Tagged | Comments (8)

Common ferns

28 March 2012 – 10.52am

Would you like to learn to recognise some of New Zealand’s ferns?

“Fernland” was an early colloquial name for New Zealand, so it’s almost patriotic to be able to recognise a few of the country’s ferns!

I’ve put together notes and images for 13 common species, showing how to distinguish them and where you might find them.

Common New Zealand ferns, from Te Papa’s Collections Online website.

Hound's tongue fern, Microsorum pustulatum.

The featured ferns are:

African clubmoss (not actually a fern, but a similar kind of plant)

button fern

Cunningham’s maidenhair

drooping filmy fern

fork fern

hen & chickens fern

hound’s tongue

kiokio

prickly shield fern

silver fern

single crape fern

sweet fern

wheki

All are common and widespread in New Zealand.  Check out the pictures and see how many you already recognise.

Let me know, by email or by posting a comment, if you would like to know more about any of these species, or other ferns.

Also let me know if you are interested in similar resources for other groups of plants or animals, and I will pass the request on to Te Papa’s relevant curator to see what they can do.

Te Papa’s Collections Online website is a work in progress.  All of the images in the “Common New Zealand ferns” pages are actually high-resolution, but you’ll notice that you can’t ‘zoomify’ them.  Additionally, the image captions are not particularly helpful.  Hopefully we’ll be able to fix these limitations before too long.

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Talk: mapping NZ’s plants

23 March 2012 – 8.59am

Next Tuesday night (27th March), I’m giving a talk at Wellington’s Otari Wilton’s Bush about how (and why) maps are generated from dried plant specimens in collections like those of Te Papa. I’ll also introduce some of the new internet tools that are making distribution information about New Zealand’s plants more readily available.

Details: 7.30pm, 27th March 2012, Otari Wilton’s Bush Information Centre, 160 Wilton Road.

Hooker’s spleenwort fern (Asplenium hookerianum) and its distribution in New Zealand based on specimens in Te Papa’s collection.

For those interested, but unable to attend, these are some of the useful internet resources:

NZ Plant Name Database

NZ Plant Conservation Network

Te Papa’s Collections Online 

NZ Virtual Herbarium

NZ eFlora

I intend to finish the talk with some discussion of the ‘weedy’ native plants present in Wellington.

Find out more about Te Papa’s plant collections.

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A new fern, Lastreopsis kermadecensis

21 March 2012 – 2.46pm

Te Papa Research Fellow Patrick Brownsey and I have just described a new species of fern, Lastreopsis kermadecensis.  It only occurs on Raoul Island, which is the largest island in the Kermadec Islands group.  Hence, the second part of the new species name!

The newly described Lastreopsis kermadecensis, from Raoul Island in the Kermadecs. Photo by and courtesy of Peter de Lange.

The Kermadec Islands are the most northern part of the New Zealand Botanical Region.  Raoul Island is about 980 km north-east of the North Island.  Much of the indigenous flora is similar to mainland New Zealand.  But there are a number of plants that occur on the Kermadec Islands and elsewhere in the tropical south Pacific but not in mainland New Zealand.  There are also about 25 vascular plant species that are only found on the Kermadec Islands, like this new fern.

Wikipedia’s entry on the Kermadec Islands.

Some of the specimens from the Kermadec Islands amongst Te Papa’s collections.

While the official description of Lastreopsis kermadecensis is only recent, it has actually been suspected for nearly 50 years that the Lastreopsis on Raoul Island was a distinct species.  But it wasn’t until now that someone (us) did the work to test whether this was indeed the case.  This involved comparing specimens from Raoul Island, New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere in the Pacific.  The work was completely collections-based; neither Pat nor I have been to the Kermadec Islands! Instead, we used specimens from the collections of Te Papa, Auckland Museum, Landcare Research, the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, the Queensland Herbarium, and Hawaii’s Bishop Museum. 

Abstract of the paper describing Lastreopsis kermadecensis.

Lastreopsis kermadecensis looks similar to New Zealand’s smooth shield fern, Lastreopsis glabella.  Lastreopsis glabella is a common forest fern.  You will have undoubtedly seen it if you’ve spent any time in New Zealand’s forests, even if you didn’t recognise it.  One of the differences between Lastreopsis kermadecensis and Lastreopsis glabella is that the latter has an abundance of small, orange glands on the undersides of its fronds.  Lastreopsis kermadecensis is actually most similar to Lastreopsis smithiana from eastern Australia, but there are several differences which we felt were sufficient to treat them as distinct species.

Pictures of New Zealand Lastreopsis from Te Papa’s Collections Online.

The formal description of Lastreopsis kermadecensis means we now recognise 196 ferns and lycophytes indigenous to New Zealand.  We are aware of several additional undescribed or unrecognised species, so a few more years of work will see the list top 200.

Te Papa’s list of New Zealand ferns and lycophytes.

Incidentally, Lastreopsis kermadecensis is one of the first New Zealand plants to be described under the changed rules that allow electronic publication of new scientific names.

Abstract of the article setting out the changes that allow electronic publication of new scientific names for plants, algae, and fungi.

Posted in Ferns, Plants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Plant Hunt at Hokio, Levin

23 February 2012 – 8.39am

Te Papa Research Fellow Patrick Brownsey was recently contacted about a population near Levin of the very rare Ophioglossum petiolatum.

Ophioglossum are odd looking ferns, as befits a common name of “adder’s tongue ferns”.  We don’t have a picture of O. petiolatum (stalked adder’s tongue fern), but the related O. coriaceum is similar; O. petiolatum has a rounder leaf and a longer fertile spike than shown in the drawing below.

Ophioglossum coriaceum. Adams, Nancy. Purchased 2006. © Te Papa.

Ophioglossum petiolatum has a Nationally Critical conservation status in New Zealand.  More details and photos from the Plant Conservation Network.

Pat saw the Hokio population about 30 years ago, and wrote an article about it.  A local landowner wanted to know if the population still persisted.  Primary Science Teacher Fellow Wendy Hogg and I joined Pat for the hunt, but we were unsuccessful.  The area is much changed, and it seems unlikely (but not impossible) that O. petiolatum survives near Levin.  1985 article about Ophioglossum petiolatum at Hokio (2.3 MB pdf).

However, we did find the unusual, floating liverwort Ricciocarpos natans.  Although only a centimetre or two across, it is very distinctive.  It has a Nationally Endangered conservation status, but it is probably under-collected, and may be more common than appreciated.  Please look out for it amongst the “duckweed” on your local ponds!

The floating liverwort Ricciocarpos natans. Here it is ‘beach-cast’ in mud, along with Azolla rubra (a floating fern; the red plant in the lower-right corner) and Lemna duckweed (the small green ovals). Photo Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

Posted in Bryophytes, Ferns, Field trips, Plants | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Poo moss

9 February 2012 – 4.29pm

Tayloria mosses belong to the wonderfully named Splachnaceae family, and grow on dung and carcasses!

Such substrates are unusual for mosses, and Tayloria has several adaptations for its specialist life-style. 

Tayloria moss, near Riverton. Photo Leon Perrie, (c) Te Papa.

Mosses reproduce by spores, which in most cases are dispersed by the wind, and may or may not land in a suitable place for the spore to germinate.  The spores of Tayloria are sticky, so they adhere to flies and other animals attracted to the dung or carrion.  Moreover, the capsule producing the spores mimics the foul smell, attracting the visiting flies close to the spores.  In this way, Tayloria mosses increase their chances of dispersing from one dung heap (or dead body) to the next.

Some overseas Tayloria mosses are so specialised that the odour they emit is chemically tuned to the dung smell of a particular animal.

Anne Gaskett from the University of Auckland talking to Radio New Zealand’s Our Changing World programme about her research on Tayloria mosses.

New Zealand has three indigenous species of Tayloria mosses; look out for them!  Te Papa’s WELT herbarium holds c. 160 specimens.

Distribution map of Tayloria specimens held by Te Papa.

Posted in Bryophytes, Plants | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

Rare success – rediscovery of several bryophyte species

19 December 2011 – 11.54am

Te Papa’s botanists made several significant finds during their explorations accompanying the recent Bryophyte and Lichen Workshop.

Led by Research Associate Peter Beveridge and Research Fellow Patrick Brownsey, the moss Dicranoweisia spenceri was found in some abundance at the site we investigated within Tongariro National Park.  This is great news because this is only the second known living population of Dicranoweisia spenceri, after its recent rediscovery at Arthur’s Pass by Landcare Research’s Allan Fife.  More sites around Tongariro National Park now need to be searched for Dicranoweisia spenceri to determine how widespread it is there.

The moss Dicranoweisia spenceri on a branch of a beech tree, Tongariro area. Photo Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

Close-up image of Dicranoweisia spenceri.

Interestingly, Peter realised the importance of some of his collected* specimens only after we had returned home and he examined them with a microscope – the moss Hampeella pallens from the Bay of Plenty and an undescribed species of Lopholejeunea liverwort near Mahia.  In addition to a 1983 record from the Kaimai Ranges, Hampeella pallens was known from the Bay of Plenty but without a precise locality.  It has a current threat classification of Nationally Critical, one step above Extinct.

It is indicative of the challenges that these tiny plants present that we did not recognise the Hampeella pallens and Lopholejeunea in the field.  Bryophyte identification can take considerable skill and often necessitates microscopic examination.  One of the goals of the annual Bryophyte and Lichen Workshop is to share and develop those skills.

Previous blogs on the Workshop: 2009, 2010.

The liverwort Petalophyllum preissii (centre), Kaikoura. It is similar to Petalophyllum hodgsoniae, which we looked for unsuccessfully in Morere Springs Reserve. Photo David Glenny, © Landcare Research.

We also had some search failures.  We didn’t find the distinctive Petalophyllum hodgsoniae, a liverwort that looks a bit like a fingernail-sized lettuce.  It is known from a single 1947 collection, and is regarded as Nationally Critical.  Visitors to the forest behind the thermal pools at Morere, near Mahia, might keep an eye out for it during spring and early summer.

Our observations, be they positive or negative, provide data for the Department of Conservation sponsored Bryophyte Expert Panel to re-assess the Threat Classification of New Zealand’s bryophytes.

The 2010 evaluation of the threat status for New Zealand’s mosses and liverworts.

More about how Te Papa’s botanists contribute to plant conservation.

We also looked for a Porella liverwort known from a mid-twentieth century record on the coast at Whakamahi near Wairoa.  Unfortunately the area is now devoid of native forest, so there wasn’t much to search.  Many mosses and liverworts have specific habitats.  If the habitats are destroyed, so too are the inhabitants.  Which is why accurately documenting the distribution of New Zealand’s biota, no matter how small the plant or animal, is so important – surely we do not want to inadvertently consign more species to extinction. 

Thanks to Allan Fife and David Glenny, bryologists at Landcare Research’s herbarium at Lincoln, for their expertise and support.

* made under a Department of Conservation permit.

Posted in Field trips, Plants | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)

How Te Papa contributes to plant conservation

20 November 2011 – 4.13pm

In the next two weeks, some of Te Papa’s Botany staff will be looking for several poorly known mosses and liverworts.

For instance, the moss Dicranoweisia spenceri was recorded more than 60 years ago from near Mount Ruapehu but it hasn’t been reported from there since – is it still there? We’re going to check.

A specimen of the moss Dicranoweisia spenceri in Te Papa’s collection. This species has a conservation ranking of “Data deficient”; that is, not enough is known about its occurrence to classify the level of threat it faces. © Te Papa.

Conservation managers need to know what is rare and what is not. It allows them to prioritise (increasingly) stretched resources to those plants and animals at most risk of extinction.

New Zealand’s herbaria (collections of dried plant specimens) collectively have over one million specimens (Te Papa has c. 250000). These collections voucher, or provide physical proof, of what plants are in New Zealand, what they look like, and where they occur. Many species occur commonly and over large areas, but many others are only known from a few sites, placing them at risk of extinction.

Te Papa’s botany collection.

New Zealand Virtual Herbarium – an aggregate database of NZ’s herbaria.

One million specimens sounds a lot. But there’s still huge gaps in the documentation of New Zealand’s native plants (not to mention adventive and cultivated plants).

Mosses and liverworts pose a particular challenge. They’re small and underappreciated, and there’s far fewer people capable of identifying them compared with bigger plants.

What are mosses and liverworts?

There are about 520 mosses and 600 liverwort species in New Zealand. Yet in the recent threat evaluation of these groups, 135 taxa/entities are listed as “Data Deficient”. That is, not enough is known about them to even rate how threatened they are.

The 2010 evaluation of the threat status for New Zealand’s mosses and liverworts.

Which is why the Bryophyte and Lichen Workshop is so important. This is an annual gathering of people – amateurs and professionals, beginners and experts – interested in mosses, liverworts, and lichens. This year the Workshop is based in Matawai, between Opotiki and Gisborne. Three staff and a Research Associate from Te Papa are taking part. There’s very few previous records of mosses and liverworts from the Matawai area, so we’ll be collecting a specimen of every species we find, including common species. But we’ll have a close eye out for those regarded as Data Deficient, both during the Workshop and at targeted sites during our travel there and back.

I’ll let you know what we turn up.

Previous blogs on the Workshop: 2009, 2010.

Posted in Field trips, Plants | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Forest icing sugar – Clematis

11 October 2011 – 1.33pm

Many New Zealand forests are sprinkled with white at this time of the year.

The indigenous Clematis are flowering, and particularly striking with its large white flowers is Clematis paniculata (puawhananga, white clematis).

Close up of a male flower of Clematis paniculata. Copyright Leon Perrie.

There is a plant of Clematis paniculata flowering wonderfully at present in Te Papa’s Bush City, at the harbour-end of the upper level.

Most Clematis (variously pronounced “Clem-a-tis” or “Clee-may-tis”) are climbing vines that are rooted in the ground but whose leaves and flowers are held in the canopy. 

Rather than having female and male parts in the same flower, most New Zealand Clematis have separate female and male plants.

Indigenous Clematis shouldn’t be confused with the introduced Clematis vitalba (old man’s beard), which is from Europe and Asia.  Clematis vitalba vigorously smothers forest it invades, causing canopy collapse.  It is a pest plant targeted by many councils.  Clematis vitalba flowers during summer and autumn, and is easily distinguished by its five leaflets compared to the three leaflets of the similar, indigenous New Zealand Clematis.

Posted in Biodiversity, Exhibitions, Plants | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)
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