Species
Acromastigum verticale
Common Name(s)
Liverwort
Current Conservation Status
2009 - Threatened - Nationally Vulnerable
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
Previous Conservation Status
2004 - Threatened - Nationally Critical
Authority
Acromastigum verticale (Steph.) E.A.Hodgs.
Family
Lepidoziaceae
Flora Category
Non Vascular - Native
Structural Class
Liverwort
Synonyms
Mastigobryum verticale Steph.; Acromastigum martinii E.A.Hodgs.
Distribution
Indigenous. North, South and Stewart Islands.
Features
Plants usually occurring as isolated stems admixed with other bryophytes, more rarely as discrete plants. Stems mostly unbranched, to 7 mm. long, 0·2 mm. thick, flagella mostly one on each stem, usually short, with minute, distant, retuse or entire leaves, becoming smaller and more distant towards the apex. Leaves ovate-triangular, squarrose or with the upwards part of the leaf curved upwards, or even hamate, transverse attachment, 0·6 mm. long. 0·4 mm. wide at the widest part, concave, apices variable. obtuse or bluntly acute, shortly bifid with divergent lobes or curiously curved backwards towards the ventral margin. Cells 30–40 micrometre, still larger in the basal part, walls sinuous to stellate, caused by the very large trigones with bulging sides. Stipules, the width of the stem or a little more, 0·3 mm. tall, ovate-rotund, mostly entire, rarely very shortly bifid, more regular in shape than the leaves. Perianth 3·5 mm. long, 0·5 mm. broad at the base, narrowed to the apex, mouth piliferous, hair-points to 0·3 mm. long, crooked and entangled, a little toothed and in one instance branched. Seta as long as the perianth. Innermost pair of involucral leaves reaching almost 1/3 up the perianth, with narrow apices, shortly bifid reflexed. Second pair reaching half-way tip the innermost, with similar apices.
Fruiting
Although fruit has been seen insufficient information exists to provide any details on the timing of fruiting
Threats
Known from very few recent sites and at most of these it is seriously threatened by coal mining
This page last updated on 9 Jan 2012