The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Erpodium glaucum

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 - DP, TO

Authority

Erpodium glaucum (Wilson) I.G.Stone

Family

Erpodiaceae

Brief Description

A minute moss distinguished by the blue-grey to grey-colour when fresh, acuminate to acute leaves which lack a nerve and by the distinctive sporophytes which (when present) are covered by a long sheathing calyptra

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Synonyms

Aulacopilum glaucum Wilson

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (Te Paki (Unuwhao Bush), Tuhua (Mayor Island), East Cape (Raukokore River)). Also Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Habitat

Corticolous on the bark of trees such as puriri (Vitex lucens) and on the leaves of taraire (Beilschmiedia tarairi). Usually associated with other small foliose liverworts such as Frullania and Lejeunea spp.

Features

Corticolous, minute, pale glaucous-green, slender moss. Stems up to 10 mm long, densely matted together, soft and fragile. sparingly radiculose, irregularly or pinnate branched. Leaves c.0.5 mm long, appressed when dry, spreading when moist, the lateral leaves asymmetrical, ovate, acute or acuminate, the ventral leaves symmetrical, distinctly narrowly acuminate; lamina usually with a hyaline apiculus or short mucro, margins plane and entire. Nerve lacking. Cells throughout 12-13 microns long, rounded-hexagonal, thin-walled, multipapillose on both faces. Upper perichaetial bracts much longer than the foliage leaves, sheathing, ovate-acuminate, with longer rhomboid-hexagonal cells. Seta 0.7-0.8 mm long. Capsule up to 0.5 mm long, erect, symmetrical, ovate-globose, mouth truncate. Peristome lacking. Calyptra very long, covering the capsule and the upper part of the seta, plicate, split and twisted.

Fruiting

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

Threats

Known from very few collections. Highly threatened by habitat loss. Vulnerable to plant collectors.

This page last updated on 7 Aug 2014