Species
Doodia milnei
Etymology
Doodia: Named for Samuel Doody, 17th century London apothecary and curator
Current Conservation Status
2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted
Qualifiers
2012 - IE, RR
2009 - OL IE
Authority
Doodia milnei Carruth
Family
Blechnaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
DOOMIL
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.
Structural Class
Ferns
Synonyms
Doodia milnei var. milnei ((Carruth.) Baker; Doodia connexa sensu Hook.f.; Doodia caudata var. milnei (Carruth.) Domin; Doodia media var. milnei (Carruth.) Baker in Hook. et Baker; Blechnum kermadecense Perrie et Brownsey
Distribution
Endemic. Kermadec Islands (Raoul and Macauley Island)
Habitat
Coastal, usually associated with Kermadec pohutukawa (Metrosideros kermadecensis) dominated forest where it grows amongst rocks, on cliff faces and within leaf litter. It also has been recorded from Macauley Island (southern Kermadec Islands group) where it grows under sparse Kermadec ngaio (Myoporum rapense subsp. kermadecense).
Features
Bright green to green fern. Fertile and sterile fronds similar. Rhizomes erect (sometimes forming a small caudex up to 100 mm tall). Stipes 150-200 mm long; stipes and rachises bearing sparse brown scales, sparsely hairy, glabrescent to glabrous. Frond laminae elliptic to narrowly elliptic, pinnate, 120-600 x 100-200 mm, slightly coriaceous to firmly fleshy, slightly scaly, emergent fronds green (never pink or pink tinged). Pinnae in 20-46 pairs, the lower ones stalked or partially adnate, the middle and upper adnate. terminal pinna 15-60 mm long (somewhat less than one-eighth of the total frond length). Longest pinnae 50-180 x 3-18 mm. Indusia linear.
Similar Taxa
Superficially similar to Doodia australis with which it is sympatric in the Kermadec Islands. From that species D. milnei differs by its uniformly green to bright green, longer and wider fronds. The young expanding fronds are always green, never tinged pink or completely pink as is typical of D. australis, the stipes and frond laminae are very sparsely hairy or more usually glabrous, while the pinnae may be up to 180 mm long (100 mm in D. australis). Doodia milnei is endemic to the Kermadec islands group.
Flowering
Not applicable - spore producing
Flower Colours
No Flowers
Fruiting
Not applicable - spore producing
Propagation Technique
Easily grown in most soils and fresh spores germinate well. However, it is cold intolerant, and prefers a sunny situation in a free draining, dry soil. It does not like excessive moisture. An excellent pot plant.
Threats
Not Threatened. On Raoul this is a very common fern of the drier Kermadec pohutukawa dominated forest. Its exact status on Macauley Island rests on inadequate gatherings made in 1989. Either way it is listed as Naturally Uncommon only because it is a naturally range restricted island endemic.
Chromosome No.
2n = c.160
Endemic Taxon
Yes
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
TAXONOMIC NOTES
Perrie et al. (2014) advocated for a broadened circumscription of Blechnaceae whereby a number of genera traditionally recognized as distinct from Blechnum were merged within it. However, this view has not met with universal acceptance (see Gasper et al. 2016) and does not seem to be followed worldwide (PPG 2016). From a New Zealand perspective the decision to merge Doodia in Blechnum, and rejection of Diploblechnum has not been universally accepted either e.g., Wilcox & Warden (2017), and as such it is considered appropriate to follow world opinion and accept the taxonomy of Gasper et al. (2016) and recommendations of the PPG (2016).
Fact Sheet Citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of Access): Doodia milnei Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=468 (Date website was queried)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (2 February 2005). Description adapted from Parris (1973) and Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth (2000)
References and further reading
Brownsey, P.J.; Smith-Dodsworth, J.C. 2000: New Zealand Ferns and Allied Plants. Auckland, David Bateman
Gasper, A.L.; de Oliveira Dittrich, V.A.; Smith A.R.; Salino, A. 2016: A classification for Blechnaceae (Polypodiales: Polypodiopsida): New genera, resurrected names, and combinations. Phytotaxa 275: 191–227
Parris, B.S. 1973: The genus Doodia (Blechnaceae: Filicales) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 10: 585-610.
Perrie, L.R.; Wilson, R.K.; Shepherd, L.D.; Ohlsen, D.J.; Batty, E.L.; Brownsey, P.J.; Bayly, M.J. 2014: Molecular phylogenetics and generic taxonomy of Blechnaceae ferns. Taxon 63: 745-758.
PPG 1: The Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group 2016: A community-derived classification for extant lycophytes and ferns. Journal of Systematics and Evolution 54: 563-603.
Wilcox, M.; Warden, J. 2017: Botany of Hillsborough coast bush reserves, Manukau Harbour, Auckland. Auckland Botanical Society Journal 72: 32-46.
This page last updated on 23 Sep 2017