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Tuatara: Volume 12, Issue 3, November 1964

Key to the New Zealand Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae)

page 147

Key to the New Zealand Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae)

For the Purpose of this key the family is divided into the original genera Trichomanes (L) and Hymenophyllum (Smith). This division follows the classification used by Allan (1961). although the sub-genera he proposed are not used. In dividing the two original genera into sub-genera Allan followed the work of Copeland (1938) who considered these genera to be unnatural groupings and divided the family into 33 genera, 13 of which are present in New Zealand. Both the names and taxonomic characters used in defining the latter are the same as those used by Allan when defining sub-genera. The original division of the Family is retained for simplicity and vegetative characters are used where possible, for ease and ready application of the Key. Readers are referred to Allan (1961), and Dobbie and Crookes (1952) for the synonymy.

The Family as a whole has over 650 species which have a world-wide distribution and according to some authors an Antarctic origin. However most species today have a sub-tropical or warm temperate distribution growing in areas of high rainfall and humidity. However, as they are usually epiphytes the amount of available water varies considerably even within this environment and they have a wide range of modifications both in vegetative form and structure adapting them to these conditions. Copeland goes so far as to say that this range exceeds that of any other family, which is rather surprising as all the plants appear to be of basically simple form.

There are twenty-one species of the genus Hymenophyllum in New Zealand, fifteen of which are endemic. H. peltatum, found throughout New Zealand, is also found in Norway and France, H. ferrugineum is found in Chile and H. rarum and H. flabellatum in neighbouring Australia. These all reflect the Family's world-wide distribution. Within New Zealand most of the species are spread throughout the three main islands growing in areas of fairly high rainfall and humidity, but a few are restricted. For instance, H. minimum is found only in the South and Stewart Islands while H. montanum has been recorded only from the mountains near Lake Wakatipu; neither H. atrovirens nor H. malingii have been recorded from Stewart Island, but on the other hand, H. villosum and H. multifidum grow as far south as Campbell Island, the latter page 148 also being found in the Auckland Islands. There is also a scattering of species on the northern off-shore islands and on the Chathams.

Although most species range from lowland to montane forests, either growing terrestrially or epiphytically, H. malingii is very selective in its habitat. It prefers to grow on dead Libocedrus trunks and is only occasionally found on trunks of other trees. Of all the New Zealand species H. multifidum has the largest altitudinal distribution, ranging from lowland forests where it grows epiphytically, to alpine scrub areas where it is usually terrestrial. Others such as H. dilatatum have a wide latitudinal range and are found from the Three Kings Islands in the north to Stewart Island in the south. Collectively the above illustrates the wide variety of habitats in which the genus grows and correlated with this is a variation in vegetative characters. The fronds of H. multifidum are a good example of this, for in an alpine environment they are curled and only a couple of inches in length, while when growing epiphytically in the lowland forest are six to eight inches long and quite straight. Both the degree of hairiness and size of the flange on the stipe and rachis also vary, especially in H. sanguinolentum. Similar variations occur in other species. Hybridisation between H. demissum and H. flabellatum and H. rufescens. H. peltatum and H. revolutum, and H. sanguinolentum and H. villosum have all been recorded and this has led to further character variation.

Two species of Hymenophyllum are not included in the Key. One, H. australe recognised by Copeland was included by Allan in Hymenophyllum flexuosum and following this no distinction between the two species is recognised here. The other. H. hirsutum, was described by Hooker in the early days of New Zealand botany but no further specimens have been collected or recognised. Allan includes it in the ‘Flora’ adding that the specimens from which it was named might not even have come from this country.

There are six species of the genus Trichomanes present in New Zealand, of which three are endemic. They have a similar distribution pattern to Hymenophyllum in that they are found throughout the country, but they tend to be more northern in their range. None are found in the southern islands. Neither T. colensoi, page 149
Plate 1 Fig. 1: Trichomanes endlicherianum: Note the tubular indusium of the sorus immersed in the bottom segments of the pinnae and the long exserted receptacle. Fig. 2: Hymenophyllum dilatatum: Note the bivalved indusium of the sorus partly immersed and borne terminally on the frond. Fig. 3: The stipe of H. afrovirens showing the characteristic straight wing narrowing toward the base. Fig. 4: The stipe of H. flexuosum showing the characteristic crenulate wing. Fig. 5: Hymenophyllum minimum. Note the pinnatifid frond with toothed margin and the hair-like unwinged stipe. Fig. 6: A portion of the frond of Hymenophyllum revolutum showing its bipinnatifid nature and toothed margin.

Plate 1
Fig. 1: Trichomanes endlicherianum: Note the tubular indusium of the sorus immersed in the bottom segments of the pinnae and the long exserted receptacle. Fig. 2: Hymenophyllum dilatatum: Note the bivalved indusium of the sorus partly immersed and borne terminally on the frond. Fig. 3: The stipe of H. afrovirens showing the characteristic straight wing narrowing toward the base. Fig. 4: The stipe of H. flexuosum showing the characteristic crenulate wing. Fig. 5: Hymenophyllum minimum. Note the pinnatifid frond with toothed margin and the hair-like unwinged stipe. Fig. 6: A portion of the frond of Hymenophyllum revolutum showing its bipinnatifid nature and toothed margin.

page 150 T. elongatum nor T. endlicherianum are found in Stewart Island and in the South Island are fairly restricted but the other three species are found in the three islands. T. venosum and T. endlicherianum are also found in countries ranging from Australia to the Tahitian Islands. The genus does not vary to the degree of the other, nor has any hybridisation been recorded.

Key to the Genera

Indusium bivalved and cup shaped, receptacle rarely exserted Hymenophyllum
Indusium tubular, usually immersed in the lamina, receptacle long and prominently exserted Trichomanes

Key to the Genus Trichomanes

1 Fronds borne in tufts — 2
Fronds borne on a creeping rhizome — 3
2 Fronds oblong, veins of pinnae unbranched T. strictum
Fronds triangular, veins of pinnae branched T. elongatum
3 Frond kidney shaped and undivided T. reniforme
Frond divided — 4
4 Veins branching freely in the segments of the lamina, lamina light green T. venosum
Veins simple or forked, lamina dark green — 5
5 Sori stalked, lamina delicate T. colensoi
Sori immersed in the bottom segments of the pinnae T. endlicherianum

Key to the Genus Hymenophyllum

1. Stipe definitely winged to base — 2
Stipe not winged or only partly so — 4
page 151
Plate 2 Fig. 7: The sorus of Trichomanes endlicherianum. Note the tubular indusium and the protruding receptacle. Fig. 8: The sorus of Hymenophyllum dilatatum borne terminally on the frond. Note the entire margins of the bivalved indusium. Fig. 9: The sorus of Hymenophyllum revolutum borne in the axis of a pinna. Note the toothed margin of the indusium. Fig. 10: The sorus of Hymenophyllum multifidum borne laterally. Note the crenulate nature of the indusium and the partly exserted receptacle.

Plate 2
Fig. 7: The sorus of Trichomanes endlicherianum. Note the tubular indusium and the protruding receptacle. Fig. 8: The sorus of Hymenophyllum dilatatum borne terminally on the frond. Note the entire margins of the bivalved indusium. Fig. 9: The sorus of Hymenophyllum revolutum borne in the axis of a pinna. Note the toothed margin of the indusium. Fig. 10: The sorus of Hymenophyllum multifidum borne laterally. Note the crenulate nature of the indusium and the partly exserted receptacle.

page 152
2 Fronds borne in tufts H. pulcherrimum
Fronds borne separately on a creeping rhizome — 5
3 Wing on both stipe and rachis crenulate H. flexuosum
Wing straight narrowing towards base of stipe H. atrovirens
4 Stipe covered with hairs, especially on the young fronds — 5
Stipe glabrous — 11
5 Lamina distinctly hairy on both sides — 6
Lamina not hairy, or only slightly so on the underside — 7
6 Lamina densely covered with short hairs giving a velvety appearance and a grey-brown colour H. malingii
Hairs in clumps and mainly confined to the laminal veins, fronds olive green H. ferrugineum
7 Hairs fine, silky, covering the stipe of immature fronds remaining in the mature fronds as clumps at the junction of the stipe and rhizome — 8
Hairs not as above remaining on the stipe of the mature frond — 9
8 Underside of the lamina completely hairless, lamina consisting of fan-like pinnae H. flabellatum
Groups of hairs present on the veins of the underside of the lamina, lamina triangular H. rufescens
9 Rachis completely winged, often a trace of the wing present on the stipe H. sanguinolentum
Rachis only partly winged, no trace of the wing on the stipe — 10
10 Rachis almost straight, stipe and rachis clad in bristly hairs. Lamina large (greater 10cm) indusium toothed H. scabrum
Rachis zig-zag, stipe and rachis covered with short hairs, lamina less than 10cm long. Indusium smooth and entire H. villosum
11 Lamina having a toothed margin — 12
Lamina margin not toothed — 18
12 Fronds small and delicate, rarely more than 4cm in length. Stipe hair-like, rachis not winged — 13
Fronds usually greater than 6cm. rachis slightly winged — 17
13 Leaf simple to 3-5 fid. 5 to 25mm long with a dark margin, partly thickened or thickened H. armstrongii page 153
Leaf distinctly divided — 14
14 Lamina pinnatifid. rachis not more than 1cm long H. minimum
Lamina fan-shaped or bipinnatifid — 15
15 Lamina fan shaped with no main axis H. lyallii
Lamina bipinnatifid — 16
16 Sori borne in axes of the terminal pinnae, indusium margin toothed H. revolutum
Sori borne at the base and on the underside of the pinnae, indusium margins crenulate H. peltatum
17 Lamina obviously toothed. Sori lateral, indusium crenulate, receptacle often protruding H. multifidum
Lamina minutely toothed, sori terminal, indusium margin entire H. bivalve
18 Frond small and delicate, stipe hair-like — 19
Frond at least 6cm long, stipe stout — 20
19 Indusium margin smooth H. rarum
Indusium margin deeply toothed H. montanum
20 Lamina coarsely pinnate with a prominent wing on rachis, indusium valves entire H. dilatatum
Lamina finely pinnate, wing on rachis narrow — 21
21 Pinnae fan shaped, groups of fine silky hairs present at junction of stipe and rhizome H. flabellatum
Frond characters not as above — 22
22 Lamina often rolled with a zig-zag rachis, stipe often hairy and winged, indusium margin smooth H. sanguinolentum
Lamina with an almost straight rachis, stipe glabrous. valves of indusim crenulate H. demissum

References

Allan, H. H., 1961. Flora of New Zealand, Govt. Print. Wellington, N.Z. Copeland, E. B., 1938. Genera Hymenophyllacearum. Phil. Jour. Sci. Vol. 67 No. 1. pp. 1-110.

Dobbie, H. B., and Crookes, M., 1952. New Zealand Ferns. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd., 5th Ed.