The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Cololejeunea falcidentata

Common Name(s)

Liverwort

Current Conservation Status

2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2004 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

Qualifiers

2009 - DP, RR, Sp

Authority

Cololejeunea falcidentata R.M.Schust.

Family

Lejeuneaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Liverwort

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Northland from Herekino and Mangamuka south to Waipu)

Habitat

Corticolous. Coastal to lowland. Usually on totara (Podocarpus cunninghamii and P. totara var. totara) bark.

Features

Plants corticolous, minute dull yellow-green to golden. Forming diffuse patches up to 50 um in diameter, weakly geniculate. Stem straight. Leaves almost flat, weakly imbricate, 350-370 x 240-255 um, ovate with postical side almost straight above lobule. Lobule c.0.4x lobe length and 0.375 lobe width. Cells at lobe apex slightly bulging but not strongly tuberculate. Dorsal surface with low tuberculae, thoiloid, one per cell to 6 um tall and 6.0-7.5 um diameter. Oil bodies 2-7 per cell, narrow spindle shaped, granular, 4.5-6.0 x 1.5-2.0 um. Ocelli absent, though a row of larger cells in the leaf base close to the keel margin is present. Lobules oval in shape, inflated and all identical cells not projecting except for a few low tuberculae at the distal end of the keel. Lobule furnished with a 2-celled, conspicuously falcate tooth that almost reaches the leaf margin, with papilla at base of lower cell. Gemmae subspherical, multicellular, common on ventral surface of older leaves. Perianth dorsiventrally flattened with 4 distinct keels. Stylus scarcely evident.

Fruiting

Fruiting plants have yet to be seen

Threats

Although apparently extinct at Mangamuka (searches for it there have been undertaken) ad hoc surveys for this species have disclosed several large populations in scattered sites throughout Northland. Because it is very small this species is very easily overlooked, and as recent surveys suggest probably even more widespread than is currently known

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 20 Oct 2014