The species described by Georg Forster as Pteris comans was once thought to be widespread across the Pacific. However, previous molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that a subclade within Pteris subgenus Campteria section Tripedipteris comprises a group of Oceanian species with anastomosing veins, and that the species described by Forster is actually a complex of many different species. P. zahlbruckneriana from Norfolk Island, P. microptera from Lord Howe Island, P. laevis from New Caledonia, and P. litoralis from Samoa have long been recognised as distinct entities. The New Zealand representatives were first recognised as belonging to an endemic species more than 40 years ago, but have not been formally described until now. It is described here as Pteris carsei and occurs on the Kermadec Islands, Three Kings Islands, Hauraki Gulf and Coromandel islands, and in coastal habitats of the North Island from Te Paki to Coromandel Peninsula on the east coast, and to Manukau Harbour on the west coast, with outlying populations near Ōpōtiki and at Ngarupupu Point north of Mokau. It is distinguished morphologically from other indigenous New Zealand species, and from the Pacific species, P. comans sensu stricto, P. laevis, P. litoralis, P. microptera and P. zahlbruckneriana. The status of Australian plants referred to P. comans requires further investigation.

乔治·福斯特（Georg Forster）将其描述为凤尾凤蝶的物种曾经被认为在整个太平洋地区广泛分布。但是，以前的分子系统发育研究表明，凤尾蕨属属Campteria节Tripedipteris内的一个子小窝包括一组具有吻合静脉的大洋洲物种，而Forster描述的物种实际上是许多不同物种的复合体。来自诺福克岛的P. zahlbruckneriana，来自豪勋爵岛的P. microptera，来自新喀里多尼亚的P. laevis和来自滨海的P.萨摩亚人长期以来一直被认为是独特的实体。新西兰代表在40多年前就被首次确认为一种地方性物种，但直到现在才对其进行正式描述。它在这里被描述为翼手蕨，发生在克马德克群岛，三金群岛，豪拉基湾和科罗曼德群岛，以及北岛从提帕基到东海岸的科罗曼德半岛的沿海生境，以及西海岸的曼努考港。海岸，Ōpōtiki附近和莫考以北Ngarupupu点附近有偏远人口。在形态上与其他新西兰本土物种和太平洋物种P. comans sensu stricto，P. laevis，P. litoralis，P. microptera和P. zahlbruckneriana。澳大利亚被称为斑节对虾的植物的状况需要进一步调查。