Species

Fissidens anisophyllus

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 - 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

Qualifiers

2009 - RR

Authority

Fissidens anisophllus Dixon

Family

Fissidentaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

FISANI

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Moss

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Wairarapa and Palmerston North)

Habitat

Terricolous. Lowland. On roadside clay banks and also within an urban park

Features

Plants 2-6 mm long, loosely gregarious. Stems occasionally branched. Leaves in 4-10 pairs, not overlapping in mid-stem, patent, plane when moist, lightly crisped when dry, oblong-lanceolate, 0.8-1.4 x 0.20-0.25 mm; the apex acute; laminae unistratose; vaginant lamina up to 2/3 of the leaf length, half-open to closed; dorsal lamina tapered, failing before the leaf base; margins entire, serrulate at the apex; marginal cells distinct in 1-2 rows, prosenchymatous, forming a unistratose border which is variably developed but usually present throughout the vaginant lamina and part of the dorsal and apical laminae; cells of the apical and dorsal laminae quadrate to hexagonal, smooth, not bulging, (4.5-)6.0-10.5(-15.0) x (4.5-)6.5-10.5(-12.0) µm. Costa percurrent or failing a few cells below the apex. Dioicous. Perigonia terminal on the main stem or axillary shots; male and female plants similar size. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves longer than the vegetative leaves. Seta 1.5-2.0 mm; capsules erect and symmetric, 0.3-5.0 mm; operculum oblique-rostrate. Calyptra smooth, cucullate. Spores 10-14 µm.

Similar Taxa

Very close to Fissidens leptocladus from which it differs by its smaller size, less well-developed borders and its less bulging and thinner-walled (and so clearer) leaf lamina cells (Beever et al 2002).

Fruiting

Fruiting material may be found throughout the year

Threats

Fissidens anisophyllus is very poorly known and it may possibly be better placed within the highly variable F. leptocladus (see comments by Beever et al. 2002). Currently it is known from very few collections. Further specimens would help resolve both its taxonomic and conservation status.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No





Attribution

Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange 12 October 2011. Description from Beever et al (2002).

References and further reading

Beever, J. Malcolm, B.; Malcolm, N. 2002: The moss genus Fissidens in New Zealand – an illustrated key. Nelson, Micro-Optics Press.

This page last updated on 20 Oct 2014