List of native New Zealand ferns

This is a list of native New Zealand ferns. These are the true ferns in the Division Pteridophyta that are native to New Zealand. The ferns of Alsophila, Sphaeropteris and Dicksonia are tree ferns that can grow quite high, all the other genus groups are that of ground, climbing or perching ferns.

Aspleniaceae[]

There are over 700 species in the genus Asplenium, the spleenworts. Around 20 are native to New Zealand, with naturalized since 2003.

Asplenium appendiculatum – Ground spleenwort, Coastal spleenwort
Asplenium bulbiferum – Hen and Chickens fern, mouku, manamana
Asplenium flabellifolium – Butterfly fern, Necklace fern
Asplenium flaccidum – Hanging spleenwort, raukatauri
Asplenium gracillimum
– Hauraki Gulf spleenwort
Asplenium hookerianum – Hooker's spleenwort
– Lyall's spleenwort
– Northern shore spleenwort
Asplenium oblongifolium – Shining spleenwort, huruhuruwhenua
– Shore spleenwort, paranako, parenako
– Poor Knights spleenwort
Asplenium polyodon – Sickle spleenwort, petako
– Richard's spleenwort, matua-kaponga
(A. aucklandicum)
– Blanket fern
Asplenium trichomanes – Maidenhair spleenwort

Blechnaceae[]

Austroblechnum colensoi – Waterfall fern, Colenso's hard fern
Austroblechnum lanceolatum – Lance water fern
Austroblechnum penna-marina – Alpine water fern
Cranfillia fluviatilis – Creek fern, kiwikiwi
Diploblechnum fraseri – Miniature tree fern
Doodia media – Rasp fern
Icarus filiformis – Thread fern
Lomaria discolor – Crown fern
Parablechnum novae-zelandiae – Palm-Leaf fern, kio kio
Parablechnum procerum – Mountain kiokio

Cyatheaceae[]

Alsophila colensoi – Mountain tree fern
Alsophila cunninghamii – Gully tree fern, Slender tree fern or Ponga
Alsophila dealbata – Silver tree fern, Silver fern, Kaponga or Ponga
Alsophila kermadecensis – Kermadec tree fern (Kermadec Islands)
– Milnes tree fern (Kermadec Islands)
Alsophila smithii – Soft tree fern, Katote
Sphaeropteris medullaris – Black tree fern, Mamaku

Dennstaedtiaceae[]

Histiopteris incisa – Water Fern
Hypolepis ambigua – Pig Fern
– Thousand-Leaved Fern
Leptolepia novae-zelandiae – Lace Fern
Paesia scaberula – Ring Fern
Pteridium esculentum – Bracken

Dicksoniaceae[]

Dicksonia squarrosa – wheki, rough tree fern,
Dicksonia fibrosa – wheki-ponga
Dicksonia lanata – tūōkura

Dryopteridaceae[]

Lastreopsis hispida – Hairy fern
Polystichum richardii – Common shield fern
Polystichum vestitum – Prickly shield fern
Rumohra adiantiformis – climbing shield fern

Gleicheniaceae[]

Gleichenia dicarpa – Tangle fern, spider fern, swamp umbrella fern
– Tangle fern, spider fern, swamp umbrella fern
Gleichenia microphylla – Carrier tangle, parasol fern, waewaekākā
Sticherus cunninghamii – Umbrella fern, tapuwae kōtuku, waekura
Sticherus flabellatus
Sticherus tener

Grammitidaceae[]

– Comb fern, Gypsy Fern
Grammitis billardierei – Common strap fern

Hymenophyllaceae[]

Hymenophyllum bivalve
Hymenophyllum cupressiforme
– Drooping filmy fern, irirangi, piripiri
– Matua, mauku
– Rusty filmy fern
Hymenophyllum flabellatum – Fan-like filmy fern
– Much-divided filmy fern
Hymenophyllum nephrophyllum – kidney fern, konehu, kopakapa, raurenga
– One-sided filmy fern
– Tufted filmy fern
– Piripiri
– Rough filmy fern
– Hairy filmy fern
– Bristle fern
Trichomanes venosum

Marattiaceae[]

Ptisana salicina – King fern, horseshoe fern, para

Osmundaceae[]

Leptopteris hymenophylloides – Single crepe fern, heruheru
Leptopteris superba – Crepe fern, Prince of Wales feathers, heruheru, ngātukākariki, ngutungutu kiwi
Osmunda regalis – Royal fern
Todea barbara – Hard todea

Ophioglossaceae[]

– Parsley fern, patotara
– Fine-leaved parsley fern
Botrychium lunaria – Moonwort
– Adder’s tongue
Ophioglossum petiolatum – Stalked adder tongue

Polypodiaceae[]

Dendroconche scandens – Fragrant fern, mokimoki
Loxogramme dictyopteris – Lance fern
Microsorum pustulatum – Hounds tongue fern, kōwaowao, pāraharaha
Polypodium vulgare – Common polypody
Pyrrosia eleagnifolia – Leather-leaf fern

Pteridaceae[]

Adiantum aethiopicum – True maidenhair, mākaka
Adiantum capillus-veneris – European maidenhair, venus-hair fern
Adiantum cunninghamii – Common maidenhair, Cunningham’s maidenhair
Adiantum diaphanum – Small maidenhair
Adiantum formosum – Giant maidenhair, plumed maidenhair
Adiantum hispidulum – Rosy maidenhair
Anogramma leptophylla – Annual fern, Jersey fern
Cheilanthes distans – Woolly cloak fern, woolly rock fern
Cheilanthes sieberi – Rock fern
Pellaea calidirupium
Pellaea falcata
Pellaea rotundifolia – Button fern, round-leaved fern, tarawera
Pteris comans – Coastal brake, netted brake
Pteris cretica – Cretan brake
– Sweet fern
– Carse
Pteris tremula – Shaking brake, tender brake, turawera
Pneumatopteris pennigera – Gully fern

Schizaeaceae[]

Lygodium articulatum – Bushman's mattress, makamaka, mangemange
– Southern comb fern
Schizaea dichotoma – Fan fern
Schizaea fistulosa – Comb fern

References[]

Brownsey, P. and Smith-Dodsworth, J (2000) New Zealand ferns and allied plants, Auckland, David Bateman Ltd.
Landcare Research: Ngā Tipu o Aotearoa—New Zealand Plants