Fissidens hylogenes
Common name
Moss
Family
Fissidentaceae
Flora category
Non-vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Kermadec (Raoul Island), North (Northland, Waikato and Wellington areas) and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Lignicolous, rarely terricolous or saxicolous. In coastal to montane forest, in dark, densely shaded sites. Often growing on rotting tree-fern trunks, well rotted leaf litter or decorticated wood, infrequently recorded from soil (often on compacted soil at the back of tree caves) or shaded rock.
Detailed description
Plants 2-3 mm long, delicate, loosely gregarious or occurring as scattered individuals. Stems simple, pale, fleshy, with rhizoids at the base only. Leaves in 3-8 pairs, distant, patent to patulous, erect when moist, irregularly crumpled when dry, oblong-spathulate, 0.75-1/5 x 0.2-0.2 mm; apex broadly acute to obtuse; laminae unistratose; vaginant lamina up to 2/3 the leaf length, half open; dorsal lamina reaching to the leaf base and often decurrent down the stem; margins serrate in the distal half of the leaf ± entire in the proximal half; marginal cells distinct 1-2 rows, shorter and narrower, cells of the apical and dorsal laminae quadrate or rectangular to hexagonal, smooth, not bulging, (18-)25-40(-55) x 15-25 µm. Costa absent. Dioicous. Perigonia terminal, male plants smaller than the female, leaves in up to 5 pairs. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves longer than the vegetative leaves in up to 5 pairs. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves longer than the vegetative leaves. Setae 1.5-2.0 mm, colourless, fleshy; capsules 0.4-0.6 mm, erect, symmetric; exothecial cells 32-42 around periphery’ operculum erect-rostrate, equalling the theca. Calyptra smooth. mitrate. Spores 10-13 µm.
Similar taxa
Fissidens hylogenes is only likely to be confused with the more common and widespread F. dealbatus which grows in similar habitats but from which F. hylogenes differs by its smaller size (2-3 mm cf. 5-8 mm in F. dealbatus) and distinctive serrulate rather than entire leaf margins
Fruiting
Fruits may be present throughout the year.
Threats
Fissidens hylogenes has been listed as ‘Naturally Uncommon’ (see Glenny et al. 2011) because evidence field and herbarium suggests it is a naturally uncommon, sparsely distributed moss. However because this species is so small, it is also very easily overlooked, and it is very likely that Fissidens hylogenes is more widespread than current records suggest.
Etymology
fissidens: From the Latin fissio ‘fission’ and dens ‘tooth, prong’ meaning split tooth and referring to shape of the lamina.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (13 November 2011).Description adapted 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.
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.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Fissidens hylogenes Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/fissidens-hylogenes/ (Date website was queried)