Tmesipteris tannensis is a fern ally

Fern ally

Fern allies are a diverse group of seedless vascular plants that are not true ferns. Like ferns, a fern ally disperses by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations.-Classification:...

 endemic to New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It is usually epiphytic

Epiphyte

An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...

 on trees and tree ferns, but is occasionally terrestrial.

An example of occurrence of T. tannensis within a tiered phytocoenosis

Phytocoenosis

Plant community is a collection of plant species within a designated geographical unit, which forms a relatively uniform patch, distinguishable from neighbouring patches of different vegetation types. The components of each plant community are influenced by soil type, topography, climate and human...

 is in Central Westland

Westland District

Westland District is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island. Its population is - Government :The Westland District is governed by an elected Council, headed by an elected Mayor. The Mayor is elected at large. The current Mayor is Maureen Pugh. Councillors are...

 of South Island

South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

, New Zealand. These forests are the most extensive continuous podocarp/broadleaf forests in New Zealand. The overstory includes miro

Miro

Miro may refer to:* Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization, a reformist Iranian political organization* Prumnopitys ferruginea, an evergreen coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand.* Miro Technologies, an MRO supplier from California...

, rimu

Rimu

Rimu can mean the following:*Dacrydium cupressinum, also rimu, a tree endemic to New Zealand*Rimu, Southland, a locality in Southland, New Zealand*Rimu, West Coast, a locality in the West Coast region of New Zealand...

 and mountain totara. The mid-story includes tree ferns such as Cyathea smithii

Cyathea smithii

Cyathea smithii, commonly known as the Soft Tree Fern or Katote, is a species of tree fern.-Distribution and ecology:The species natural distribution covers North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, and the Chatham Islands of New Zealand south to the Auckland Islands...

and Dicksonia squarrosa, whilst the lowest tier and epiphytic

Epiphyte

An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...

 associates include Asplenium polyodon

Asplenium polyodon

Asplenium polyodon, commonly known as Sickle Spleenwort, is a species of fern in the family Aspleniaceae. The distribution of A. polyodon includes parts of the countries of Australia and New Zealand...

, Astelia solandri and Blechnum discolor

Blechnum discolor

Blechnum discolor is a species of fern in the family Blechnaceae. This species is endemic to New Zealand. As noted by C. Michael Hogan, this species is found in a number of forest communities in diverse locations within New Zealand, and is sometimes a dominant understory component.Spores are...

along with T. tannensis.

Sources

• C. Michael Hogan. 2009. Crown Fern: Blechnum discolor, Globaltwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg