Flora of New Zealand Series

Trichomanes sanguinolentum Forst. f. Prodr. 1786, 84.

H. lophocarpum Col. in T.N.Z.I. 17, 1885, 255.

Mecodium sanguinolentum (Forst. f.) Presl Epim. bot. in Abh. böhm. Ges. Wiss. 5(6), 1849, 258.

Rhizome rather stout to slender, much-branched; clad in reddish bristly hairs when young, becoming glab.; stipites distant to approximate. Stipes rather stout, 4-8 cm. long, narrowly winged above or throughout (except in age), with bristly hairs at base. Rhachis rather stout, winged throughout or in upper part, glab. or with sparse hairs. Lamina 5-15 cm. long or more, broad-ovate to oblong, dull olive-green, strongly scented, staining paper while drying; 3-pinnatifid to almost pinnate; final segs oblong to narrowly oval, often crowded. Sori on short lateral segs, mostly in upper part of frond, free or very slightly immersed. Indusium 1-1·5 mm. long, broad-ovate to suborbicular; 2-valved almost to base, valves entire, often crested on back. Receptacle not exserted.

Colenso's H. lophocarpum was based on epiphytic specimens, "hilly forests in the interior, Seventy-Mile Bush, County of Waipawa; 1860-84: W.C.". The case for its specific status is argued at length, but the rather scanty type material (W) does not allow of separating it from H. sanguinolentum. Colenso emphasizes the "Involucres free, large, sub-orbicular, loose, rumpled or bladdery, wider than lobes, turgid, much larger than sori, confined to the upper portion of frond and extending to the tip, but always supra-axillary and not terminal on lobes."

Other spp. of Hymenophyllum are scented and stain paper when drying, but usually not nearly so markedly as in H. sanguinolentum.

Hooker (Fl. N.Z. 2, 1855, 14) placed our sp. as a var. of H. polyanthos Swartz. H. cristulatum Rosenstock in Fedde Repert. nov. Spec. Regn. veg. 5, 1908, 14 was based on specimens from "Nova-Zealandia. Wahi Punamu, in littore septentrionali (L. H. Ranfft)". He distinguishes it from other members of the polyanthos group by the sparse ferruginous hairs of rhizome, stipes and rhachis, and especially by "valvis breviter oblongis, obtusis, integerrimis vel apice indistincte erenulatis, cristis 2-3 membranaceis, linearibus, subparallelis in parte inferiore dorsali ornatis".

DIST.: Three Kings Is, N., S., St., A. In lowland and montane forests throughout, epiphytic to rupestral. Apparently endemic.