The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Fissidens hyophilus

Etymology

Fissidens: From the Latin fissio 'fission' and dens 'tooth, prong' meaning split tooth and referring to shape of the lamina.

Common Name(s)

moss

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

Qualifiers

2009 - DP, SO, Sp

Authority

Fissidens hyophilus

Family

Fissidentaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Moss

Synonyms

Fissidens oblongifolius var. hyophilus (Mitt.) J.E.Beever et I.G.Stone

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec Islands (Raoul Island and The Meyers), North Island (from Te Paki to Whangamata - mostly on eastern offshore islands especially those in the Hauraki Gulf - but also recorded from Petone, Wellington), South Island (Kaikoura coastline), Chatham Islands (Rekohu only). Widespread and common Australia and many of the islands in the South Pacific.

Habitat

Coastal and lowland. usually in dense coastal forest but also in coastal scrub. Fissidens hyophilus has a very specific habitat being mostly found growing on the exposed roots and on the bark on the basal portion of trees (sometimes extending from the trunk base and exposed roots to the surrounding soil). It occasionally grows on rock. Favoured host trees include nikau (Rhopalostylis baueri and R. sapida - on which it may grow a long way up the trunk), pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa and M. kermadecensis), tawapou (Planchonella costata), coastal maire (Nestegis apetala) and houpara (Pseudopanax lessonii s.l.)

Features

Plants 4-10 mm long, medium to dark green, in scattered clusters or densely gregarious. Stems frequently branched by means of innovations from below the terminal gametoecia, with rhizoids at the base only. Leaves in 10-15(-17) pairs, overlapping in mid-stem, patent, plane when moist, tips loosely and irregularly rolled up when dry, tending away from the substratum, lingulate, 1.5-2.5 x 0.3-0.4 mm; the apex obtuse to abruptly acute; laminae unistratose; the vaginant lamina up to 2/3 the leaf length, half-open to closed; margins serrulate-crenate on the apical, dorsal, and the vaginant laminae, with cells of the suprabasal vaginant lamina margins isodiametric to oblate; cells of the apical and dorsal laminae irregularly hexagonal, smooth, strongly bulging. Dorsal lamina usually reaching the insertion; cells of the apical and dorsal laminae (5.0-)7.0-9.0(-10.5) x (5.0-)7.0-9.0(-10.5) µm. Costa failing below the leaf apex. Gonioautoicous. Perigonia axillary in distal parts of shoots, inconspicuous, with perigonial leaves smaller than the vegetative leaves. Perichaetia terminal on main shoots and innovations, with occasional scattered naked archegonia or additional perichaetia in the axils of subterminal leaves; perichaetial leaves narrower than the vegetative leaves. Seta slender 2.5-3.5 mm; capsules inclined to erect, slightly asymmetric, 0.5-0.75 mm. Calyptra smooth, mitrate. Spores 10.0-13.5 µm.

Similar Taxa

Fissidens hyophilus is distinguished from the other allied species of the Fissidens oblongifolius complex by its leaf and capsule shape, shorter seta and by the characteristic rolling up of the leaf tips away from the substratum when dry (Beever et al. 2002). It is also ecologically distinct from F. oblongifolius and F. capitatus preferring the exposed roots and lower trunks of a range of coastal and lowland trees (on Raoul island it is the dominant Fissidens in the 'wet forest' of that island).

Fruiting

Sporophytes are commonly seen throughout the year

Threats

Fissidens hyophilus is a sparsely distributed as times locally common moss of mostly the northern North Island and associated offshore islands. In some locations such as Raoul Island or Hauturu (Little Barrier Island) it is extremely common although more usually it occur sin widely scattered sites and is often rather scarce. Beyond loss of coastal forest habitat in some parts of northern New Zealand this species is secure on numerous offshore islands and there are no serious threats known to affect it.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Jul 2014