''Lygodium articulatum'', commonly referred to as mangemange or Bushman's mattress, is a

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

endemic to the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

forests of New Zealand. Mangemange is an

endemic species Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

and is unique compared to other ferns in the area due to the vine–like curtain it creates in the canopy. Although the majority of the plant is found in the canopy of the surrounding forest, the roots and stem of mangemange form on the ground, meaning it cannot be classified as an

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

Description

''Lygodium articulatum'' roots extend laterally from the stem (rhizome) of the plant. The

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

s of mangemange are hairy and long-creeping, giving rise to widely spaced

frond A frond is a large, divided leaf. In both common usage and botanical nomenclature, the leaves of ferns are referred to as fronds and some botanists restrict the term to this group. Other botanists allow the term frond to also apply to the lar ...

s. Fronds grow alternately from the stem and form

dichotomous A dichotomy () is a partition of a set, partition of a whole (or a set) into two parts (subsets). In other words, this couple of parts must be * jointly exhaustive: everything must belong to one part or the other, and * mutually exclusive: nothi ...

costae that twist and climb until they find nearby branches or trees. Once the plant has the support of a branch, stipes and pinnae form. Mangemange will form either sterile vegetative pinnae (10 cm) or fertile pinnae (1 cm). Sterile pinnae are flat and smooth while fertile pinnae are wrinkled and fan shaped, terminating in spore structures that release a yellow spore-dust when ripe. ''Lygodium articulatum'' will often grow rapidly high in a tree, where it may become a wall or curtain of leaves and twiggy vines. It is often difficult to navigate through due to the strength of the rhizomes. This behavior is common to its genus ''Lygodium'', and has led to several members of the genus' widespread success. A common example is the behavior of ''

Lygodium japonicum ''Lygodium japonicum'' is a species of fern that is known by the common names vine-like fern and Japanese climbing fern. It is native to eastern Asia, including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, southeastern Asia, and India, and eastern Australia. The fern i ...

'', which similarly forms dense vertical mats, that are currently highly invasive and damagin in Northern Florida.

Taxonomy

''Lygodium articulatum'' is considered by modern systematists to be a member of a basally divergent clade within the ''

Lygodium ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'' genus. While pre-modern phylogenetic studies that relied on morphology had considered it to be a highly derived member of the genus, modern molecular phylogenetic studies have found it to be a member of a basally divergent clade alongside its temperate North American sister, ''

Lygodium palmatum ''Lygodium palmatum'' is the only species of its genus native to North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by th ...

.''

Distribution and habitat

Mangemange is mainly found on the North Island of New Zealand, specifically in the Northland,

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, Volcanic Plateau, Gisborne and

Taranaki Taranaki is a regions of New Zealand, region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano Mount Taranaki, Taranaki Maunga, formerly known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the ...

regions. It grows from sea level to in elevation. Since it is a climbing fern that uses neighboring structures to grow, its habitat is mainly based on the distribution of other species such as the manuka and kanuka scrub, and in

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...

podocarp Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly southern hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pres ...

and broadleaved forest.

Māori use

The term "Bushman's mattress" comes from the springiness of the vines and stems of ''L. articulatum''. The

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

would make beds by coiling the springy vines and putting them in sacks, then stuff the sacks with available soft flora. Māori also used the tough wiry stems for things like fishhooks, rope, thatching, and eel traps. The leaves and fronds were infused with water and drunk to cure stomach aches and pains. When dried out, the leaves give off a pleasant aroma and were at times even used as a type of diaper.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17043114 Flora of the North Island Ferns of New Zealand articulatum