Species

Goebelobryum vermiculare

Etymology

vermiculare: From the Latin vermiculus 'little worm' and -aris 'resembling', meaning worm-shaped, i.e. thick and almost cylindrical but bent in different places.

Common Name(s)

liverwort

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Relict

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

Authority

Goebelobryum vermiculare J.J.Engel et Glenny

Family

Acrobolbaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Liverwort

Synonyms

None - first described in 2012 (see Engel & Glenny 2012)

Distribution

Indigenous: New Zealand (North, South and Chatham Islands. Also Tasmania. In New Zealand mostly recorded from the Waikato, and north-western South Island. Scarce on the Chatham Islands.

Habitat

Terricolous. In New Zealand restricted to lowland acidic bogs - especially those dominated by the restiads Sporadanthus and Empodisima, and heathlands, or on poorly drained, podzolised soils.

Similar Taxa

Goebelobryum unguiculatum from which G. vermiculare differs by 'worm-like' growth habit, with strongly dorsally assurgent, often darkly red-pigmented (magenta) leaves, whose apices are sparingly incised (or not). Goebelobryum unguiculatum has leaves which are weakly to moderately dorsally assurgent, yellow-green to golden sometimes faintly tinged rose or reddish (never magenta), and whose apices are prominently incised and lobulate

Flowering

Not applicable - produces sporophytes

Fruiting

Sporophytes may be seen throughout the year

Propagation Technique

Difficult - should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Although widespread and mostly common within its chosen habitats, the wetlands this species prefers are now scarce due to past drainage, and in some cases the lack of fires to keep them open.  This species, as Goebelobryum aff. unguiculatum (CHR 527492: Charleston) has been assessed as 'At Risk / Relict' by Glenny et al. (2011). This assessment is probably still appropriate.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Hairy mericarps are dispersed by wind and possibly attachment (Thorsen et al., 2009).

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 June 2014).

References and further reading

Engel, J.J.; Glenny, D. 2012: Austral Hepaticae 48. Goebelobryum Grolle (Acrobolbaceae). Nova Hedwigia 95: 319-336.

Glenny, D.; Fife, A.J.; Brownsey, P.J.; Renner, M.A.M.; Braggins, J.E.; Beever, J.E.; Hitchmough, R. 2011: Threatened and uncommon bryophytes of New Zealand (2010 Revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 49: 305-327.

Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309

This page last updated on 25 Jul 2014