The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Entosthodon muehlenbergii

Common Name(s)

moss, Muhlenberg's cord-moss

Current Conservation Status

2009 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant

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 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2009 - SO, DP

Authority

Entosthodon muehlenbergii (Turner) Fife

Family

Funariaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Moss

Synonyms

Funaria muehlenbergii Turner

Distribution

Indigenous. Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand exact distribution unclear though it has only been recorded from the eastern South Island.

Features

Terricolous, yellowish or green, colonial moss forming diffuse patches on damp earth in deep shade. Stems c.5 mm tall, simple. Leaves 1.5-3.2 mm long, tufted, wrinkled or little altered when dry, somewhat erect to spreading when dry and moist; lamina obovate to widely obovate-spathulate, concave, obtuse or subacute, apiculate; margins plane slightly and bluntly serrate above by projection of the marginal cell-ends; nerve failing below apex. Cells lax, 30-140 microns long and 1.5-5.0 x 1, subquadrate, oblong, or irregularly 4-6-sided; longer and rectangular at the base; marginal cells in the upper part of the leaf in 1-2 rows narrower and often yellowish (forming a more or less distinct border). Seta 5-28 mm long. Capsule 2.5-4.0 mm long, smooth, clavate-pyriform, curved, gibbous, neck well defined (occupying fully 1/2 of capsule length), wide-mouthed, without annulus. Peristome double; the outer of 16 reddish-brown,lanceolate-subulate teeth, somewhat oblique, variably striolate on the dorsal face and trabeculate on the ventral; inner peristome of 16 opposed paler processes, shaped like teeth. Operculum scarcely convex. Calyptra inflated.

Fruiting

Freely produced throughout the year depending on growing conditions

Threats

Appears to be a naturally uncommon, range restricted species.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Jul 2014