The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Paesia scaberula

Etymology

Paesia: After the Portuguese Duke fernando Dias Paes lele, commander in South America in the 17th Century
scaberula: a little roughened; from the Latin scaber, leaves

Common Name(s)

Lace fern, Ring fern, Scented fern

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Paesia scaberula (A.Rich.) Kuhn

Family

Dennstaedtiaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PAESCA

Structural Class

Ferns

Synonyms

Pteris scaberula A.Rich., Allosorus scaberulus (A.Rich.) C.Presl, Ornithopteris scaberula (A.Rich.) J.Sm., Pteris microphylla A.Cunn.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: Three Kings, North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

Habitat

Coastal to montane. An often common fern of open or distrubed ground, rough pasture, grassland or reverting farmland - where it often is considered a serious pest.

Features

Terrestrial ferns. Rhizome long-creeping, much branched, stiff and somewhat brittle, 1–2 mm diameter, chesnut-brown, densely clad in slender red-brown, bristly hairs. Stipes 50–400 × 1–2 mm, stiff, muricate to almost smooth, densely clade in slender, bristly, red-brown hairs (especially near base) and short, glandular, yellow hairs in upper portion. Rhachis strongly to slightly zig-zagged, strongly muricate to smooth. Laminae 2–3–4-pinnate, 100–800 × 50–350 mm, deltoid to ovate or elliptic, stiffly coriaceous to subcoriaceous, adaxially yellow-green to yellow, abaxially, covered by numerous, short, glandular hairs, midirbs bearing bristly red-brown hairs; veins obscure, free. Pinnae finely dissected, primary pinnae shortly stalked, 70–200 × 30–50 mm, ovate to lanceolate, acuminate. Secondary pinnae shortly stalked, up to 25 × 10 mm, lanceolate. Segments decurrent, pinnatisect to almost pinnate, up to 5 × 2 mm, narrow, sharply toothed or incised, often apiculate. Sori usually copious, extending along both margins of segments, but not reaching base or apex. True indusium delicate, often vestigial

Similar Taxa

Easily distinguished by the yellow-green to yellow, glandular sticky, finely dissected, fragrant fronds, zig-zagged rachises and elongated marginal sori, protected by an inrolled, scarious lamina on the outside of the ultimate segments and a membranous (sometimes almost vestigial) indusium on the inside of the ultimate segments.

Flowering

Not Applicable - Spore Producing

Flower Colours

No Flowers

Fruiting

Not Applicable - Spore Producing

Propagation Technique

A weedy fern that often self establishes in gardens. Prefers a sunny, open situation and is tolerant of a range of soil types.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 52

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 6 Dec 2014