Ditrichum brachycarpum

Toggle Glossary

Donate - Support NZPCN

Species

Common Name(s)

Moss

Current Conservation Status

2009 - Data Deficient

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 - OL, TO

Authority

Ditrichum brachycarpum Hampe

Family

Ditrichaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Synonyms

Ditrichum calcareum (R.Br.bis) Broth.

Distribution

Indigenous. In New Zealand known only from Canterbury (near Lake Coleridge, Castlehill and near Castlehill Village) and from the Rock & Pillar Range. New Zealand is imperfect and it is not clear if the gatherings so named are actually this species, further recent surveys at some of sites where it had been recorded have failed to locate further specimens

Features

Saxicolous, densely tufted moss of mostly calcareous substrates. Stems 10 mm or more tall, simple or branched. Leaves 1.5-2.0 mm long, crowded, appressed, rigid, erect or sub-erect, from a widened oblong base narrowed, in the upper leaves rather abruptly but in the lower ones gradually, to a rigid subula. Nerve wide and thick, 100-120 µm wide at the base, deep orange-red, vanishing in the subula. Cells narrow-linear throughout. Setae 2.5-4.0 mm long. Capsule oblique, inclined, ovate-oblong, slightly narrowed to the mouth, annulate. Peristome single, long filiform, granulate, united at the base into a short tube. Operculum 1/5 length of capsule, united at the base into a short tube. Calyptra cucullate. Antheridia gemmiform, axillary.

Fruiting

Although fruit has been seen insufficient information exists to provide any details on the timing of fruiting

Threats

Very vulnerable to competition from weeds, trampling by rock climbers and mining/quarrying for lime and limestone rock. There is some evidence that this species may have declined markedly since rock climbing became more popular in the Castlehill basin (see also Grimmia plagiopoda)

The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network