The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Cyclodictyon blumeanum

Common Name(s)

Moss

Current Conservation Status

2009 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

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 - ST, SO, OL

Authority

Cyclodictyon blumeanum (Müll.Hal.) Kuntze

Family

Pilotrichaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Synonyms

Hookeria blumeana C.Müll.

Distribution

Indigenous. Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Malaya, Borneo, Philippines, Taiwan, New Guinea, Fiji. New Zealand – Kermadec Islands, where it is known on Raoul Island from four sites (two permanent springs and on the margins of semi-permanent pools and in seepages at the bottom of steep ravines).

Habitat

Corticolous, saxicolous, folicolous or terricolous (often aquatic) on wood, roots and rocks in moist ground, or in shady places such as within waterfalls, streams or springs. On Raoul it has also been found growing on a hose pipe, mesh, plastic bottles and taro.

Features

Synoicous or autoicous, light-green, irregularly branched moss of damp sites or waterways. Branches 2 cm long, to 2 mm wide with leaves; leaves weakly complanate, slightly distorted when dry, ovate to oblong-lingulate, 1.2-1.8 mm long, 0.6-0.9 mm wide, broadly acute to shortly acuminate, the apiculus 50-80 pm long; margins weakly toothed above near apex, plane below; border distinctly differentiated, with two rows of linear cells; costa reaching 4/5 the length of leaf, with several dorsal spines towards apex; cells large, 33-50 µm wide, irregularly hexagonal above, becoming rectangular towards base. Calyptra mitrate, covering operculum and capsule mouth when mature, smooth, yellowish, laciniate at base. Seta up to 1.6 cm high, reddish brown, smooth; capsule dark brown, suberect to cemuous, ovoid-cylindrical; urn 1.5 mm; mouth enlarged, mamillose.

Fruiting

Fruits not yet seen in New Zealand specimens

Threats

Probably at its world southern limit, on Raoul this moss is known only from two small permanent springs where it is very uncommon and also from small seepages in two ravine systems. Although probably more realistically judged as naturally uncommon, because this species is known from such a small area and so few plants it qualifies as Nationally Critical.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Oct 2011