Tag Archives: ferns

Learn ferns in Wellington, 2

17 June 2013 – 3.04pm

Are you interested in learning more about ferns, and in the Wellington region?

The talk in March was so popular that Otari have asked me back for round two.  I’ll lead a walking-talk through the fernery at the wonderful Otari-Wilton’s Bush, Sunday 23rd June 2013, beginning 2pm from the Otari Information Centre.

More details.

Close up of the scales of Cyathea (left) and the hairs of Dicksonia (right). Photos Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

There are two major groups of tree ferns in New Zealand.  One is scaly (Cyathea, at left); the other hairy (Dicksonia, at right). See them up close at Otari.  Photos Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

Interested in learning ferns, but not in Wellington?  You might find this link useful:

How to learn ferns.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Would you mine a rare population?

21 April 2013 – 2.28pm

The Escarpment Mine on the Denniston Plateau has been tentatively approved by the Environment Court, subject to suitable mitigation plans. One of the issues that may be under consideration is what to do about the site’s population of the Sticherus tener umbrella fern.

Scoop news report: “…tentative nod for Denniston mine plan”.

Sticherus tener has a conservation ranking in New Zealand of Nationally Critical. That is as rare as you can get without being extinct.

The umbrella fern Sticherus tener at a site within the planned Escarpment Mine on the Denniston Plateau. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

The umbrella fern Sticherus tener at a site within the planned Escarpment Mine on the Denniston Plateau. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Destroying a population of a species so threatened in New Zealand has to be weighed against the economic benefits of the proposed mine. Of course, the Denniston area’s natural values are far greater than this one fern species. A factor in any consideration specific to Sticherus tener is that it is common in Australia. In that context, it is similar to the white heron or kōtuku (Ardea modesta), which graces our $2 coins. The white heron is also Nationally Critical in New Zealand, but Secure Overseas. Would New Zealanders accept a development destroying part of the white heron population in New Zealand?

Our paper detailing the status of Sticherus tener in New Zealand has just been published. Sticherus tener was known in New Zealand only from one 1980s record from Fiordland. Department of Conservation staff have recently made additional records from Fiordland. Furthermore, Te Papa’s botanists realised that some of the plants in the Stockton and Denniston areas are actually Sticherus tener.

Abstract from the New Zealand Journal of Botany.

Email me if you would like a pdf of the paper.

Te Papa’s collections of Sticherus tener, with more photos.

Our paper also recognises Sticherus urceolatus in New Zealand for the first time. Sticherus urceolatus is closely related to Sticherus tener, and also is Nationally Critical in New Zealand while being common in Australia. Sticherus urceolatus occurs at Stockton (but not Denniston), near Takaka, and apparently in Fiordland.

Te Papa’s collections of Sticherus urceolatus, with more photos.

The umbrella fern Sticherus urceolatus at Stockton. The frond segments of this species arise at a pronounced angle, while those of Sticherus tener are close to 90 degrees. Other differences are detailed in our paper. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

The umbrella fern Sticherus urceolatus at Stockton. The frond segments of this species arise at a pronounced angle, while those of Sticherus tener are close to 90 degrees. Other differences are detailed in our paper. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Populations of Sticherus tener and Sticherus urceolatus in the northern South Island had previously been mistakenly attributed to Sticherus flabellatus. We now believe that Sticherus flabellatus does not occur in the South Island, but it is common in the northern North Island. When the Denniston population was erroneously attributed to Sticherus flabellatus, an issue for the proposed mine was the destruction of a population at the southern limit of a species common in New Zealand. The correct identification of the Denniston population as Sticherus tener, Nationally Critical in New Zealand, makes the conservation implications for the proposed mine more serious.

Te Papa’s collections of Sticherus flabellatus.

It was an internet photo that first alerted me to the possibility of Sticherus at Denniston being more complicated that everyone thought. I was trying to find more information about Denniston for our 2012 field work surveying for the then-undescribed Gleichenia inclusisora tangle fern; this Naturally Uncommon species also occurs at Denniston. I came across a report containing a photo from Denniston labelled “Sticherus flabellatus”. I was immediately sure that the photo did not show Sticherus flabellatus, but instead some other species of Sticherus. However, determining the correct identity as Sticherus tener took several more months. This involved a revision of existing herbarium specimens from the northern South Island that were labelled “Sticherus flabellatus” (all actually either Sticherus tener or Sticherus urceolatus), DNA sequencing, and field work to visit the sites ourselves.

Blog post on our 2012 field work in the South Island, targeting Sticherus and other ‘problem’ ferns.

Blog post on the recently described new species of tangle fern, Gleichenia inclusisora.

Interestingly, the Forest and Bird-organised BioBlitz of the Denniston Plateau in 2012 did not detect Sticherus tener. That this medium-sized fern was missed by such a concerted effort to document the area’s biodiversity is a cautionary indicator of how difficult it is to make well-informed land management decisions.

Forest and Bird’s BioBlitz at Denniston.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Collections Online, Ferns, Field trips, Plants | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

How to learn ferns

15 April 2013 – 8.27am

Last weekend I was out with the Kapiti-Mana branch of Forest and Bird, giving them an introduction to ferns. A few weeks back, I gave a similar walking-talk at Otari-Wilton’s Bush in Wellington. Many people find ferns an appealing group to learn. Aside from their iconic status in New Zealand, good learning resources are available, and there are enough different New Zealand ferns to be a challenge without being overwhelming. Most forested sites in New Zealand will be home to between 20 and 50 species of fern.

Te Papa’s online guide to Common New Zealand ferns.

Te Papa’s online guide to New Zealand tree ferns.

When teaching people how to identify a fern plant, I stress that there are four characteristics to initially look for:

1) does it have reproductive structures? Fern reproductive structures occur on the underside (or margins) of the frond. The shape (e.g., round versus elongate into lines) and position (i.e., on the margin or away from the margin) are important. Related ferns almost always have similar reproductive structures, even if their fronds look completely different.

Different groups of ferns are characterised by their reproductive structures, which can come in many forms. Clockwise from top left: 1) Polystichum; shield ferns. The reproductive structures are aggregated into round patches. Each of the black spheres is a sporangium (plural = sporangia), the capsule that produces the spores (in Polystichum, there are 64 spores in each sporangium). A distinct cluster of sporangia is called a sorus (plural = sori). In many ferns the sori are partially covered by protective tissues, called indusia (singular = indusium). In Polystichum, the indusia are round, giving rise to the common name of shield fern for this group. 2) Cardiomanes; kidney fern. The sori occur on the margins and arise from tubular indusia. 3) Gleichenia; tangle ferns. Two or three sporangia (the yellowish dots) occur on the underside of each frond segment. 4) Hypolepis; pig ferns. The sori are on the margin of the frond and are partially protected by the inrolled margin of the frond. 5) Asplenium; spleenwort ferns. The sori occur in lines away from the margin, and are arranged in a ‘herring bone’ pattern. 6) Pteris. The sori line the margins of the frond. Photos Leon Perrie, montage © Te Papa.

Different groups of ferns are characterised by their reproductive structures, which can come in many forms. Clockwise from top left: 1) Polystichum; shield ferns. The reproductive structures are aggregated into round patches. Each of the black spheres is a sporangium (plural = sporangia), the capsule that produces the spores (in Polystichum, there are 64 spores in each sporangium). A distinct cluster of sporangia is called a sorus (plural = sori). In many ferns the sori are partially covered by protective tissues, called indusia (singular = indusium). In Polystichum, the indusia are round, giving rise to the common name of shield fern for this group. 2) Cardiomanes; kidney fern. The sori occur on the margins and arise from tubular indusia. 3) Gleichenia; tangle ferns. Two or three sporangia (the yellowish dots) occur on the underside of each frond segment. 4) Hypolepis; pig ferns. The sori are on the margin of the frond and are partially protected by the inrolled margin of the frond. 5) Asplenium; spleenwort ferns. The sori occur in lines away from the margin, and are arranged in a ‘herring bone’ pattern. 6) Pteris. The sori line the margins of the frond. Photos Leon Perrie, montage © Te Papa.

The nature of the reproductive structures can be critical for identifying a fern. If I happen upon a fern I don’t know and it does not have reproductive structures, I do not bother attempting to identify it. If you’re learning ferns, I recommend you do the same.

2) does it have scales or hairs or is it naked (glabrous)?

There are two major groups of tree ferns in New Zealand: Cyathea tree ferns are scaly, whereas Dicksonia tree ferns are hairy. Photos Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

There are two major groups of tree ferns in New Zealand: Cyathea tree ferns are scaly, whereas Dicksonia tree ferns are hairy. Photos Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

 

Close up of the scales of Cyathea (left) and the hairs of Dicksonia (right). Photos Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

Close up of the scales of Cyathea (left) and the hairs of Dicksonia (right). Photos Leon Perrie, © Te Papa.

Hairs are only one cell wide, but this can only be checked with a microscope. As a general rule, if you can’t decide whether something on a fern is a scale or a hair, call it a scale if it is obviously wider than your own hairs.

3) how divided is the frond? It might be undivided (= “simple”), or once divided, or twice divided… etc.

Loxogramme dictyopteris, lance fern, has undivided/simple fronds. Asplenium oblongifolium, shining spleenwort, has once divided fronds. Asplenium bulbiferum, hen & chickens ferns, has three-times (or nearly so) divided fronds. Photos Leon Perrie, montage © Te Papa.

Loxogramme dictyopteris, lance fern, has undivided/simple fronds. Asplenium oblongifolium, shining spleenwort, has once divided fronds. Asplenium bulbiferum, hen & chickens ferns, has three-times (or nearly so) divided fronds. Photos Leon Perrie, montage © Te Papa.

4) are the fronds tufted, or do they arise along a creeping rhizome (modified stem)?

Blechnum discolor, crown fern, has tufted fronds. Right: In Arthropteris tenella, the fronds arise at intervals along a creeping rhizome; several creeping rhizomes can be seen as brown lines up the tree trunk. Photos Leon Perrie, montage © Te Papa.

Left: Blechnum discolor, crown fern, has tufted fronds. Right: In Arthropteris tenella, the fronds arise at intervals along a creeping rhizome; several creeping rhizomes can be seen as brown lines up the tree trunk. Photos Leon Perrie, montage © Te Papa.

Noting these features will help you identify a fern. These features are what I make sure I record when I am collecting and/or photographing ferns.

The Kapiti-Mana Forest and Bird trip was to Mangaone Walkway near Waikanae. Below are the ferns we discussed. Several of them already feature in:

Te Papa’s online guide to Common New Zealand ferns.

Blechnum novae-zelandiae, kiokio. Most Blechnum species have different looking fertile (top left) and sterile fronds. Fertile Blechnum fronds are usually reduced to narrow segments, which are green when young, black when the spores are mature, and brown after the spores have been shed. Most Blechnum species also have only once-divided fronds. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum novae-zelandiae, kiokio. Most Blechnum species have different looking fertile (top left) and sterile fronds. Fertile Blechnum fronds are usually reduced to narrow segments, which are green when young, black when the spores are mature, and brown after the spores have been shed. Most Blechnum species also have only once-divided fronds. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum fluviatile, creek fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Blechnum fluviatile, creek fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Blechnum discolor, crown fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum discolor, crown fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum colensoi, Colenso’ hard fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum colensoi, Colenso’s hard fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Cyathea smithii, kätote. A scaly tree fern. Has a distinctive skirt of dead frond stalks.

Cyathea smithii, kätote. A scaly tree fern. Has a distinctive skirt of dead frond stalks.  Photo Leon Perrie. (c) Leon Perrie.

Dicksonia squarrosa, whekï. A hairy tree fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Dicksonia squarrosa, whekï. A hairy tree fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Asplenium flaccidum, hanging spleenwort. Usually grows from tree trunks. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Asplenium flaccidum, hanging spleenwort. Usually grows from tree trunks. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Asplenium bulbiferum, hen & chickens fern. This looks very different to the hanging spleenwort, but they have the same arrangement of their reproductive structures, reflecting their close relationship. (They commonly form (sterile) hybrids.) Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Asplenium bulbiferum, hen & chickens fern. This looks very different to the hanging spleenwort, but they have the same arrangement of their reproductive structures, reflecting their close relationship. (They commonly form (sterile) hybrids.) Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Microsorum pustulatum, hound’s tongue fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Microsorum pustulatum, hound’s tongue fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Hymenophyllum revolutum. Filmy ferns have very thin leaves, and many look translucent. There are three principal groups in New Zealand: Hymenophyllum, Trichomanes, and Cardiomanes. Most Hymenophyllum species have their reproductive structures enclosed by two separate flaps. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Hymenophyllum revolutum. Filmy ferns have very thin leaves, and many look translucent. There are three principal groups in New Zealand: Hymenophyllum, Trichomanes, and Cardiomanes. Most Hymenophyllum species have their reproductive structures enclosed by two separate flaps. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Trichomanes venosum. In Trichomanes, the reproductive structures are enclosed by a tubular, often trumpet-like structure. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Trichomanes venosum. In Trichomanes, the reproductive structures are enclosed by a tubular, often trumpet-like structure. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Cardiomanes reniforme, kidney fern. More closely related to Hymenophyllum than Trichomanes, although the reproductive structures are at least superficially more similar to the latter. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Cardiomanes reniforme, kidney fern. More closely related to Hymenophyllum than Trichomanes, although the reproductive structures are at least superficially more similar to the latter. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Leptopteris hymenophylloides, single crape fern. The sporangia are spread over the frond underside rather than being clustered into sori of regular shape and size. The frond is translucent like a filmy fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Leptopteris hymenophylloides, single crape fern. The sporangia are spread over the frond underside rather than being clustered into sori of regular shape and size. The frond is translucent like a filmy fern. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Tmesipteris elongata, a fork fern. More closely related to ferns than to seed plants or lycophytes. Nevertheless, the relationship is a distant one, and it doesn’t look very fern like. There are at least five species in New Zealand, and they are usually epiphytic on tree ferns. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Tmesipteris elongata, a fork fern. More closely related to ferns than to seed plants or lycophytes. Nevertheless, the relationship is a distant one, and it doesn’t look very fern like. There are at least five species in New Zealand, and they are usually epiphytic on tree ferns. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Lycopodium volubile. A lycophyte rather than a fern. Ferns are more closely related to seed plants than they are to lycophytes, but ferns and lycophytes share a similar mode of reproduction. The leaves of lycophytes are only small, and the leaves bearing sporangia are often clustered into distinct ‘cones’. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

Lycopodium volubile. A lycophyte rather than a fern. Ferns are more closely related to seed plants than they are to lycophytes, but ferns and lycophytes share a similar mode of reproduction. The leaves of lycophytes are only small, and the leaves bearing sporangia are often clustered into distinct ‘cones’, which are the pendulous, brown structures in this image. Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Plants | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

A name change for strap ferns

28 March 2013 – 2.11pm

I recently co-authored a paper with Barbara Parris that investigated the scientific classification and naming of New Zealand’s strap ferns.

If you’ve spent any time in New Zealand’s forests, you will have almost certainly seen the common strap fern. It has simple, undivided fronds up to 20 cm long, but usually much less. It is widespread and can be abundant, growing at the base of tree trunks or on the ground, usually amongst mosses and liverworts. The other species are less frequently encountered.

Abstract of our paper in the New Zealand Journal of Botany.

Email me if you would like a pdf of our paper.

A cluster of individuals of common strap fern, Notogrammitis billardierei, previously known as Grammitis billardierei. Photo Leon Perrie. (c) Leon Perrie.

A cluster of individuals of common strap fern, Notogrammitis billardierei, previously known as Grammitis billardierei. Photo Leon Perrie. (c) Leon Perrie.

Reproductive structures on the frond underside of Notogrammitis billardierei. Photo Leon Perrie. (c) Te Papa.

Reproductive structures on the frond underside of Notogrammitis billardierei. Photo Leon Perrie. (c) Te Papa.

The 10 species of strap ferns in New Zealand have been classified in the genus Grammitis. All have small, simple, undivided fronds, and their reproductive structures are in a herring-bone pattern on the underside of the fronds. Although related, the comb fern differs from the strap ferns in having a lobed frond, and it was placed in a different genus, Ctenopteris, as Ctenopteris heterophylla.

Comb fern, Notogrammitis heterophylla, previously known as Ctenopteris heterophylla. Photo Leon Perrie. (c) Te Papa.

Comb fern, Notogrammitis heterophylla, previously known as Ctenopteris heterophylla. Photo Leon Perrie. (c) Te Papa.

Barbara had hypothesised that the New Zealand strap ferns and comb fern were misclassified in both Grammitis andCtenopteris. After looking closely at their external structures, she considered them to be closely related to one another but to be distantly related to the ‘true’ Grammitis and Ctenopteris (which are defined by the first species named as such). DNA analyses that I conducted supported Barbara’s hypothesis.

This left the New Zealand strap ferns and comb fern without a genus name, so Barbara coined Notogrammitis; noto being Greek for southern, and Grammitis being the genus in which the New Zealand strap ferns were previously (mis-) classified.

Notogrammitis also occurs in Australia, South America, South Africa, and many of the sub-Antarctic islands. There are 12 species in total, with 11 found in New Zealand (four of these are only found in New Zealand, while seven also occur elsewhere). However, our DNA results suggest there are almost certainly more species than currently recognised.

Te Papa’s collections of Notogrammitis.

Fortunately, the name change is simple for most species, with Notogrammitis being substituted for Grammitis (or Ctenopteris). For example, Grammitis billardierei and Grammitis pseudociliata have become Notogrammitis billardierei and Notogrammitis pseudociliata, respectively. However, there are a couple of discrepancies to watch for. Firstly, Grammitis magellanica has become Notogrammitis angustifolia. This is because although angustifolia is the oldest relevant species name, it could not be used for this New Zealand strap fern when it was classified in Grammitis as the combination Grammitis angustifolia had already been used for a completely different species. Secondly, Grammitis poeppigiana has become Notogrammitis crassior. This is because the type specimen of Grammitis poeppigiana actually belong to the species now called Notogrammitis angustifolia, and the species name crassior is the earliest that is based on a type specimen that actually belongs to the species we have previously (mistakenly) called Grammitis poeppigiana. Straightforward, huh?!

Changes to scientific names (should) reflect improved understanding of species’ evolutionary relationships. Although we might grumble about having to learn new names, it is the stark reality that current scientific classifications are still far from accurately portraying evolutionary history. In this case, the species in New Zealand are not closely related to true Grammitis, which have fronds with black margins and occur in the Pacific Islands, Africa, Madagascar, and the New World, or Ctenopteris, which is actually an older (and therefore not to be used) name for Prosaptia. Expect many more name changes as evolutionary relationships are determined with ever more accuracy.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Plants | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Learn ferns in Wellington

17 March 2013 – 11.15am

Are you interested in learning more about ferns, and in the Wellington region?

Te Papa’s Curator of Botany Leon Perrie is leading a walk through the fernery at the wonderful Otari-Wilton’s Bush: Sunday 24th March 2013, beginning 2pm from the Otari Information Centre.

More details.

Loxsoma cunninghamii, in cultivation at Otari-Wilton's Bush. This is the only species in the genus Loxsoma, and it is only found in New Zealand, where it grows naturally in the northern North Island. Photo Leon Perrie.

Loxsoma cunninghamii, in cultivation at Otari-Wilton’s Bush. This is the only species in the genus Loxsoma, and it is only found in New Zealand, where it grows naturally in the northern North Island. Photo Leon Perrie.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Field trips, Plants | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

Guide to Fijian tree ferns

26 February 2013 – 12.28pm

An abundance of tree ferns is one of the botanical characteristics that New Zealand shares with many of the larger Pacific Islands. The number of different species is not especially high, but tree fern individuals feature prominently in many Pacific and New Zealand landscapes.

Following my work in Fiji, I’ve produced an online guide to Fiji’s tree ferns.  Pictures and diagnostic tips should help distinguish the different species.  This complements our existing online guide to New Zealand’s tree ferns.

Online guide to Fiji’s tree ferns.
Online guide to New Zealand’s tree ferns.

I hope the Fijian tree fern guide will be useful to tourists interested in Fiji’s biodiversity, and to locals managing these plants as a resource.

Cyathea lunulata, recognisable by its pale scales and frond stalks. The most prominent tree fern in the Fijian lowlands. Photo by Leon Perrie. (c) Te Papa.

Cyathea lunulata, recognisable by its pale scales and frond stalks. The most prominent tree fern in the Fijian lowlands. Photo by Leon Perrie. (c) Te Papa.

Cyathea lunulata is a good species to initially learn, as it is the most obvious tree fern in the lowlands of Fiji. It also occurs on other Pacific Islands. In fact, most of the tree ferns in Fiji also occur somewhere else, meaning this guide has some applicability to places like Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, and the Cook Islands (but not to New Caledonia, which has its own distinct set of tree ferns).

All of the photos in the online guide are high resolution, and you should be able to ‘zoom in’ on them. However, technical limitations of our website currently prevent this. If you want to see this fixed, leaving a comment below may help prioritise the development of Te Papa’s website.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Collections Online, Ferns, Field trips, Pacific, Plants | Also tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

Fern stamps

11 February 2013 – 4.28pm

New Zealand Post has just released a series of postage stamps featuring five New Zealand ferns. The illustrations are excellent.

Images of the stamps, from New Zealand Post’s website.

More images from the designer’s website.

The five ferns featured are:

  • hen and chickens fern, Asplenium bulbiferum – $0.70
  • kidney fern, Cardiomanes reniforme – $1.40
  • Colenso’s hard fern, Blechnum colensoi – $1.90
  • umbrella fern, Sticherus cunninghamii – $2.40
  • silver fern, Cyathea dealbata – $2.90

Colenso’s hard fern , Blechnum colensoi. P023538. Te Papa.

All five featured species are endemic to New Zealand. That is, they are indigenous only to New Zealand. This is in the context of about half of New Zealand’s nearly 200 indigenous fern species being also indigenous to somewhere else in the world (mostly south-eastern Australia).

Silver fern (ponga) should need no introduction, being New Zealand’s sporting emblem. Hen and chickens fern (manamana) is common in wetter forests, but it is a look-alike, the false hen and chickens fern, that is common in gardens. Kidney fern is very distinctive and rather un-fern like! It is a filmy fern but has no close relatives. Its previous classification in Trichomanes has been shown to be wrong and some place it in Hymenophyllum; we retain it in Cardiomanes. Umbrella fern also has an atypical growth form, with its stems repeatedly forking. Colenso’s hard fern is restricted to wet, (and usually) cold sites.

Kidney fern, Cardiomanes reniforme. P023548. Te Papa.

Te Papa’s specimens, with maps and photos, of:

More information on the false (or cultivated) hen & chickens fern.

Te Papa’s Patrick Brownsey, who wrote the book New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants, short-listed candidate species for the stamp issue, and helped the designer source authentic material. They visited Kaitoke, near Wellington, to see living plants of these species. Patrick also wrote the text for the presentation pack.

If you are interested in learning more about New Zealand’s ferns, you might find the following Te Papa links useful:

Common New Zealand ferns.

New Zealand tree ferns.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Plants | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Help with floating fern

29 November 2012 – 3.01pm

I’ve recently learnt that the introduced Azolla pinnata (ferny azolla) has been found in the Wellington region. I’m interested in its distribution and would be grateful for help in looking for more. Azolla plants are fairly easy to spot: look for a red plant covering still bodies of water.

Azolla plants often become red in full sunlight, and they can become so abundant that they carpet ponds, drains, and other still bodies of water. This is Azolla rubra in a pond on Mana Island, Wellington. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Azolla are ferns, believe it or not! They are free floating, and while individual plants are only a few centimetres across, they can proliferate in good conditions to ‘carpet’ large areas of water surfaces.

There are two species in New Zealand: the native Azolla rubra (Pacific azolla, previously known as Azolla filiculoides); and the exotic Azolla pinnata, which is an introduction from the tropics.

Azolla pinnata has largely replaced the native Azolla rubra in the northern North Island. It is therefore a concern that A. pinnata was found near Waikanae in recent weeks, after being found near Whanganui a few years ago. It seems it is continuing to spread south.

The introduced Azolla pinnata has very regular branching. Plants can be red or green depending on whether they are in the open or shade, respectively. The green ovals are Lemna duckweed (a flowering plant). Photo Leon Perrie. © Leon Perrie.

The branching of the native Azolla rubra is irregular. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Can you help please?

I would like to better document the distribution of the two Azolla species in New Zealand, and particularly the spread of the introduced A. pinnata. The southern North Island is the primary interest, but anything that adds to what we already know would be useful (see the link to the map below).

Map of Te Papa’s collections of Azolla.

If you see Azolla (either species), you could post a comment or send me an email. If you have landowner permission, you could make a collection for possible addition to Te Papa’s specimens: post me 20-30 plants enclosed within a watertight plastic bag, with locality details, and your contact details. My address is: Leon Perrie, Te Papa, PO Box 467, Wellington 6011.

Thanks very much.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Plants | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Ferns of New Caledonia that are very different to those in New Zealand

2 November 2012 – 12.18pm

You’ll never have seen anything like these New Caledonia ferns in New Zealand, unless you’ve been to a very interesting garden (which I’d love an invitation to!). These are photos from my recent fern collecting trip.

Dipteris conjugata. This is a very distinctive species with its un-fern like, c. 1 metre wide fronds. It is can be common on sunny, roadside banks. The same species occurs in south-east Asia to Australia and Fiji. The closest relatives in New Zealand – and it is a distant relationship – are Gleichenia, Sticherus, and Dicranopteris. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Dipteris conjugata. The spore-producing structures (sporangia) occur in clusters (sori) spread over the underside of the frond. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Austrogramme marginata. You can be forgiven for thinking this is an Asplenium birds-nest fern. But the resemblance is only superficial, and it is actually in the Pteridaceae family! The closest relative in New Zealand is probably Anogramma (and/or Pteris). Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Drynaria rigidula. A so-called basket fern. These are epiphytic ferns that have some of their fronds modified (centre of the photograph) to catch litter and organic debris, which on decomposing provides nutrients to the plant. Widespread through south-east Asia and the tropical Pacific. The closest relatives in New Zealand are Pyrrosia and Microsorum. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Prosaptia contigua. Looks a bit like New Zealand’s Ctenopteris heterophylla except the reproductive structures are clustered into cups at the apices of the frond segments. Widespread through south-east Asia and the tropical Pacific. The closest relatives in New Zealand are Ctenopteris and Grammitis. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Stromatopteris moniliformis. A fascinating fern for anyone interested in fern evolution. This is the only species in the genus Stromatopteris, and its relationships were intensely debated. Now classified in the Gleicheniaceae, along with the following genera found in New Zealand: Dicranopteris, Gleichenia, and Sticherus. I saw Stromatopteris only in the maquis vegetation, where it was one of very few ferns present. At the base of the image on the left is a young Dracophyllum. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Selaginella hordeiformis (?). A lycophyte rather than a fern. No Selaginella are native to New Zealand, but misfortunate conservationists and gardeners may be familiar with the introduced Selaginella kraussiana. Despite the latter’s diminutive stature, it carpets the floor of wet forests (and gardens), choking regeneration. New Caledonia is home to several Selaginella species that produce erect ‘fronds’, although none as big as Fiji’s Selaginella viridangula which can be over 1.5 m tall! Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Tectaria sinuata. New Zealand is seemingly too cold for this large group of ferns. The closest relative in New Zealand, is believe it or not, the epiphytic Arthropteris. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Field trips, Pacific, Plants | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

New Caledonian ferns with close relatives in New Zealand

31 October 2012 – 8.28am

A lot of New Caledonian species belong to fern genera that also occur in New Zealand. Some look very similar to New Zealand species, whereas others are quite different!  Here’s a few from my recent trip.

Cyathea albifrons. Like New Zealand’s silver fern (Cyathea dealbata), the fronds are white underneath. But the two species are not closely related. Cyathea albifrons was the dominant tree fern in the forested serpentine areas that we visited. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Cyathea intermedia. I’ve seen competing claims about whether New Zealand’s Cyathea medullaris or New Caledonia’s Cyathea intermedia was the world’s tallest tree fern. Having now seen them both, my vote is with Cyathea intermedia; easily. Majestically massive. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Dicksonia thyrsopteroides. Superficially similar to New Zealand’s Dicksonia squarrosa (wheki), but it is less hairy and the different-looking fertile parts of the frond are distinctive (see below). Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Dicksonia thyrsopteroides. The fertile parts of the frond, right and centre, look very different to the sterile parts, to the far left. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Trichomanes laetum. What a cute little fuzz ball! According to my books, laetum is Latin for attractive or joyful. The closest relative in New Zealand is Trichomanes elongatum. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Hymenophyllum rolandi-principis. There are lots of Hymenophyllum species in New Zealand, but I think none so elegant as this. Grows as an epiphyte in high altitude forest. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Adiantum novae-caledoniae. I suspect our DNA analyses will confirm this as being very closely related to Adiantum cunninghamii, A. fulvum, and A. viridescens of New Zealand, and Adiantum silvaticum of Australia. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Asplenium oligolepidum. An uncommon epiphyte. Preliminary DNA analyses have suggested that its relationship to New Zealand’s Asplenium oblongifolium and Asplenium obtusatum is not as close as one might suspect from its looks. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum obtusatum. Common around streams. A very handsome fern that could make a wonderful garden plant. Recalls somewhat Blechnum fluviatile or Blechnum durum, but unpublished DNA analyses indicate the closest New Zealand relatives are probably those currently classified as Doodia. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum corbassonii. A fairly common forest fern. Part of a group of New Caledonian Blechnum ferns that I found difficult to work with, but which are apparently related to Blechnum novae-zelandiae. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Blechnum diversifolium. Unusual for a Blechnum in that the frond is twice-divided. Blechnum fraseri in New Zealand does the same, and perhaps they’re related. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

Sticherus montaguei. Reasonably common at the margins of upland forests. Up close it looks like Sticherus flabellatus, but it is much, much bigger. Photo Leon Perrie. © Te Papa.

By Leon Perrie | Posted in Biodiversity, Ferns, Field trips, Pacific, Plants | Also tagged , , , , | Comments (0)
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