Class
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Phylloglossum drummondii Kunze, Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 1: 721 (1843)
Synonymy:
- ≡ Huperzia drummondii (Kunze) Christenh. & H.Schneid. in Christenhusz et al., Phytotaxa 19: 20 (2011)
Lectotype (designated by Brownsey et al. 2018): ad fluvium cygnorum Novae Hollandiae [Swan River, Western Australia], Drummond, Herb. Shuttleworthianum 993, BM, top left-hand numbered specimen, labelled package and labelled specimens (!online)
- = Lycopodium sanguisorba Spring, Mém. Acad. Roy. Sci. Belgique 24: 36 (1849)
Lectotype (designated by Brownsey et al. 2018): Swan River [Western Australia], Drummond 993, Herb. Hooker., K 001094294!
Etymology:
Description
Horizontal stems absent; plant growing from a subterranean tuber. Stems erect, unbranched, 11–50 mm long. Leaves whorled at ground level, spreading, linear, apices acuminate, margins entire, bases adnate, 7–20 mm long, 0.5–1.0 mm wide, dull green. Sporophylls appressed when young, spreading at maturity, ovate, apices acuminate, margins entire, bases subpeltate to peltate, 1.2–3.0 mm long, 0.7–1.5 mm wide, aggregated into distinct strobili. Strobili solitary, terminal on leafless stalk, erect, green to yellow-brown, 3–9 mm long, 2–5 mm wide.
Recognition
Phylloglossum drummondii is the smallest member of New Zealand’s Lycopodiaceae and easily overlooked in the wild. It is an ephemeral species, appearing above ground only in winter and early spring. It grows from an underground tuber and is distinguished by a basal rosette of linear leaves, and an unbranched, leafless stalk that bears a single short strobilus.
Distribution
North Island: Northland, Auckland.
Altitudinal range: 0–240 m.
Phylloglossum drummondii has been recorded in coastal and lowland sites from Te Paki to the Waikato River, with sporadic occurrences reported as far south as Banks Peninsula (de Lange et al. 2010). However, it is now confined to gumland areas in the far north around Kaitāia, growing from near sea-level up to 240 m on the Ahipara Plateau. According to Cheeseman (1906), the species was “said to have been gathered near Picton by Helms, and on Banks Peninsula by Armstrong, but I have seen no specimens”. The plant was recorded by Armstrong (1880) from Banks Peninsula, based on collections made by him and his father, but no voucher material has been found in AK, CHR, MEL or WELT. The origin of the Picton record is unknown.
Also Australia (Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania).
Habitat
Phylloglossum drummondii favours open gumland or sandy soil under mānuka and other scrub that has been recently burned, or poorly drained soils on clay pans and podsols.
Biostatus
Indigenous (Non-endemic)
Phylloglossum drummondii was given a conservation status of Nationally Endangered by de Lange et al. (2018).
Notes
Braggins (1974) provided a very full description of the species, and its habitat, distribution and dispersal in New Zealand.
Images
Bibliography
Armstrong, J.B. 1880: A short sketch of the flora of the Province of Canterbury, with catalogue of species. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 12: 325–353.
Braggins, J.E. 1974: Phylloglossum miniature denizen of the North. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin 38: 28–34.
Brownsey, P.J.; Given, D.R.; Lovis, J.D. 1985: A revised classification of New Zealand pteridophytes with a synonymic checklist of species. New Zealand Journal of Botany 23(3): 431–489.
Brownsey, P.J.; Perrie, L.R. 2020: Lycopodiaceae. In: Breitwieser, I.; Wilton, A.D. (ed.) Flora of New Zealand — Ferns and Lycophytes. Fascicle 27. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln.
Brownsey, P.J.; Perrie, L.R.; Field, A.R. 2018: Taxonomic notes on the New Zealand flora: lectotypes in Isoetaceae and Lycopodiaceae. New Zealand Journal of Botany 56(4): 396–405.
Brownsey, P.J.; Smith-Dodsworth, J.C. 2000: New Zealand ferns and allied plants. Edition 2. David Bateman, Auckland.
Cheeseman, T.F. 1906: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Government Printer, Wellington.
Christenhusz, M.J.M.; Zhang, X.-C.; Schneider, H. 2011: A linear sequence of extant families and genera of lycophytes and ferns. Phytotaxa 19: 7–54.
de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J. 2010: Threatened plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [Nationally Critical]
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Nationally Endangered]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Nationally Critical]
Kunze, G. 1843: Phylloglossum, genus novum ex ordine novo. Botanische Zeitung (Berlin) 1: 721–723.
Perrie, L.R. 2011: New names for New Zealand ferns from Christenhusz et al. (2011). New Zealand Botanical Society Newsletter 104: 15–17.
Spring, A.F. 1849: Monographie de la famille des Lycopodiacées. Mémoires de l’Académie Royale des Sciences, Lettres et Beaux-arts de Belgique 24: 1–358.
