Riccardia furtiva
Common name
Liverwort
Synonyms
None (first described in 1989)
Family
Aneuraceae
Flora category
Non-vascular – Native
Structural class
Liverworts
NVS code
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.
RICFUR
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 | Range Restricted | Qualifiers: SO, DP
Distribution
Indigenous. Australia and New Zealand. In New Zealand recorded from both North and South Islands
Detailed description
Monoicous plant found creeping at the bases of other bryophytes. Thallus small, filamentous, clear green with cell walls in older regions often pigmented brown. Growth indeterminate, branching usually simply pinnate to bipinnate, main axis and side branches not differentiated. Thalli 7-20 mm long, 141-196 microns wide. Apices rounded. Mucilage papillae 25 x 15 microns, dorsal, ventral and occasionally lateral, persisting for less than 1/3 of thallus (rarely not persisting at all). Rhizoids ventral, occasional. Gemmae not observed. Stolons absent. Axis biconvex to almost plano-convex, with subacute to rounded margin, 90-268 microns (7-13 cells) thick, cells of similar size throughout thallus, with cells walls notably thickened, sometimes heavily so in central region, epidermal cells often chlorotic. Dorsal epidermal cells isodiametric to oblong, 16-26 x 13-18 microns, and 9-13 microns deep. Ventral epidermal cells tending to be oblong rather than isodiametric, 23-40 x 13-19 microns, and 10-15 microns deep. Dorsal subepidermal more hexagonally elongate, 20-38 x 15-19 microns. Ventral subepidermal and internal cells similar. Oil-bodies: sparse or absent, if present then 5-14 x 4-8 microns and confined to the heavily thickened internal cells, or present as small (5 x 4 microns) pale brown, granular structures in subepidermal cells. Endophytic mycorrhizae sparse or absent. Male and female branches commonly on separate branch systems. Male branches solitary, shortly stalked, arising from the main or large axial branches. Antheridial cavities on dorsal surface in 2-6 pairs, separated by 2-4 cells. Female branches solitary, occurring in any region of the main axis or on the side branches with 1-5 pairs of archegonia. Calyptra covered with irregularly arranged multicellular protrusions. Sporophytes poorly known, few seen have Riccardia Type IV thickening, outer cell walls with the inner tangential and adaxial radial thickened, the walls of the inner cell layer apparently lacking bands of thickening or with ill-defined bands.
Fruiting
Although fruit has been seen insufficient information exists to provide any details on the timing of fruiting
Threats
Almost certainly incorrectly listed as Range Restricted. This species is biologically sparse and appears tobe widespread but never common. It may not even be threatened. The specific epithet furtiva alludes to the ease with which this species is overlooked, a critical point when making a conservation assessment!
Substrate
Terricolous on damp or soggy often peaty ground, in deeply shaded sites, where it usually grows threaded through other bryophytes (often at their bases)
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (27 August 2006). Description adapted from Brown & Braggins (1989).
References and further reading
Brown, E.A.; Braggins, J.E. 1989: A revision on the genus Riccardia S.F. Gray in New Zealand with notes on the genus Aneura Dum. Journal of the Hattori Botanical Labratory 66: 1-132.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Riccardia furtiva Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/riccardia-furtiva/ (Date website was queried)