Calymperes tahitense
Common name
Moss
Family
Calymperaceae
Flora category
Non-vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Mosses
Current conservation status
- Conservation status of New Zealand mosses, 2014 (PDF, 583.87 kB)
The conservation status of 109 New Zealand moss taxa was assessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). Four taxa and one undescribed entity that were not included in previous assessments have been added to the list. The conservation status of only two taxa has changed in this assessment. A full list is presented, along with a statistical summary and brief notes on the changes. This list replaces all previous NZTCS lists for mosses. Authors: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Allan J. Fife, Jessica E. Beever, Patrick J. Brownsey and Rodney A. Hitchmough.
- Conservation status of New Zealand hornworts and liverworts, 2014 (PDF, 695.44 kB)
The conservation status of the New Zealand hornwort and liverwort flora is reassessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). A full list is presented, along with a statistical summary and brief notes on the most important changes. This list replaces all previous NZTCS lists for New Zealand hornworts and liverworts which previously had been part of a generic bryophyte conservation status assessment that included mosses. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, David Glenny, John Braggins, Matt Renner, Matt von Konrat, John Engel, Catherine Reeb and Jeremy Rolfe.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: OL, SO
Distribution
Indigenous. Kermadec Islands: Raoul Island. Widespread and common throughout the high islands of the tropical Pacific, also in New Guinea, Northern Australia, Indonesia, Malesia, Indo China and China.
Habitat
Saxicolous. Known from two sites on Raoul Island growing in steep sided ravines prone to sudden flash floods, being otherwise dry for lengthy periods of time.
Detailed description
Plants robust, apparently yellow-green when fresh, terrestrial. Stems 10–35 mm, with moderately conspicuous, brown, smooth rhizoids in lower portions. Leaves loosely contorted when dry, erect-spreading when moist, linear from a slightly broader base, tubulouse, the lamina abruptly tapered at apex to a well-developed proboscis, coarsely toothed at apex by multi-cellular teeth, unistratose except at the thickened margins, 6–7 × 1 mm; cancellinae extending one-fourth to nearly one-third the leaf length, rounded distally, with files of files of hyaline cells extending among the green cells of the upper lamina, with cells rectangular and mostly c.45–75(–90) × 25 µm; leaf margins very strongly thickened and winged (in cross-section) throughout, with well-developed teniolae (intra-marginal border) extending one-third or more the leaf; upper laminal cells ± isodiametric, somewhat irregular, dark green, mostly 3–5 µm in great diam., appearing smooth in surface view, in cross-section bulging on adaxial surface. Costa stout, mostly short excurrent (nearly filling the proboscis and usually extending slightly beyond the “lamina” of the proboscis), not tapered and somewhat swollen at apex, bearing clusters of propagulae only on the adaxial apical surface, in cross-section protruding strongly and rounded abaxially, with median guide cells and two stereid bands. Propagulae not forming spherical clusters, the individual morphology not clearly seen in N.Z. material
Flowering
N.A. - spore producing
Fruiting
N.A. - spore producing
Threats
Calymperes tahitense was first discovered on Raoul Island in May 2009 when a small population was found near the bottom of Ravine Eight. During the May 2011 Kermadec Biodiscovery 2011 expedition a new population was found in the Sunshine Valley ravine system. At both sites only a few tufts were found in sites prone to sudden, extreme flooding and attendant erosion. Although probably a naturally uncommon species close to (or at) its world southern limit on Raoul, the species qualifies as Nationally Critical on the basis of area of occupancy which is considerably less than 1 square metre. Beyond natural threats such as loss from flooding there are no other human induced issues affecting this moss.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 1 July 2011.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Calymperes tahitense Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/calymperes-tahitense/ (Date website was queried)