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Forest Vines to Snow Tussocks: The Story of New Zealand Plants

Shade Epiphytes

page 68

Shade Epiphytes

These do not require a very high level of light, and as epiphytes they mostly grow low on tree trunks where they escape the shading of the larger plants of the forest floor.

Six small species of fern and two flowering plants occupy this station in New Zealand, although they may also be found on rocks. Of the ferns, three are species of Grammitis characterised by tufts of narrow simple leaves arising from short rhizomes. G. pseudociliata differs from G. billardieri and G. magellanica subspecies nothofageti in having an abundance of reddish hairs on its leaves. G. pseudociliata is concentrated in the North Island; G. billardieri and G. magellanica extend throughout the country, the last also occurring in south-east Australia.

Ctenopteris heterophylla occurs throughout the country as well as in the subantarctic islands and south-east Australia. Its habit is similar to that of the Grammitis species, but the leaves are somewhat larger and oncepinnate with toothed leaflets.

Figure 38 Pyrrosia serpens, a fern mat epiphyte.Photo J. W. Dawson.

Figure 38 Pyrrosia serpens, a fern mat epiphyte.
Photo J. W. Dawson.

page 69

Anarthropteris lanceolata is found in the North Island and near the northern shores of the South Island, as an epiphyte or on rocks. It is also said to occur in Vanuatu. The leaves are very similar in shape to those of Grammitis but longer. The rhizomes are short and produce masses of slender furry roots, some of which can give rise to new tufts of leaves.

These five epiphytic ferns are related to the climbing Phymatosorus species and have similar prominent, rounded to oblong, brown to orange sori. The sixth fern which grows as a low epiphyte is a filmy fern, Hymenophyllum pulcherrimum, which ranges throughout the country.

The two flowering low epiphytes are both species of Peperomia, a large genus of small succulent plants in tropical and subtropical regions. As epiphytes, they grow mostly near the coast in the northern half of the North Island. P tetraphylla ranges from the East Cape district through to the Bay of Plenty. It has leaves in whorls of four as its name indicates. The same species is also found in Australia and Polynesia, P. urvilleana bears its leaves singly and grows throughout the North Island and near the northern shores of the South Island, but is less common in the southern part of its range and there grows mostly on rocks. It is found also on Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands.