Species

Plagiochila baylisii

Common Name(s)

Liverwort

Current Conservation Status

2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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

Qualifiers

2009 - RR

Authority

Plagiochila baylisii Inoue et R.M.Schust.

Family

Plagiochilaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PLABAY

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.

Structural Class

Liverwort

Synonyms

None (first described in 1971)

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, Fiordland.

Features

Plants medium-sized, 20.0-30.0 x 2.8-3.5 mm, pale brown to pale greenish-yellow; leafy shoot erect or more or less ascending from a long creeping caulid, rhizome. Stem bright brown, 15-17 cells in cross-section. Plants mostly simple, rarely branched, rather rigid, branching lateral-intercalary, very rarely terminal; descending flagella sometimes developed at the base of branches and/or lower portion of stem. Rhizoids absent from aerial portion, restricted to rhizomatous caulid and/or flagella. Leaves moderately to closely imbricate, obvolute, decurved along dorsal margin, moderately decurrent dorsally but obscurely so ventrally, widely ovate or triangularly ovate, as wide or nearly as wide as long, 1600-1875 x 1340-1700 microns, dorsal margin more or less convex or nearly straight, with 1-7 spinose or spinose-ciliate, strong teeth which are 1-4 cells wide at base, 2-8 cells long; ventral margin strongly ampliate at base with truncate basal margin, with 7-13 variable, spinose to spinose-ciliate teeth, these 1-3 cells wide x 2-8 cells long, with sharp, elongate, terminal cell; leaf apex narrowed, nearly always with 2 distinct, large, coarse teeth or incipient lobs and sometimes 1-2 additional small teeth. Underleaves vestigial, oblong or bilobed to near base. Asexual reproduction not seen. Males unknown. Gynoecia terminal on leading stem, with 1-2 innovations; bracts ovate-oblong 1000-2100 x 850-2000 microns, strongly inflated at the base, with revolute or strongly recurved dorsal margins bearing 4-9 spinose teeth; ventral margin more or less undulate, bearing 10-15 spinose teeth, apex with 2 conspicuous teeth; perianth cylindrical c.1200-2700 x 700-1600 microns, dorsal and ventral keels not winged, mouth slightly to distinctly bilabiate, margin arched, strongly and irregularly spinose-dentate. Capsule valves comprised of 6-8 cells, 62-82 microns thick. Spores 15-20 microns, coat subglobose, minutely punctate; elaters c. 10 x 800-1300 microns, often once branched, bispiral.

Fruiting

Fruiting period unknown

Threats

Originally known from only a single gathering. Fieldwork within Fiordland has now ascertained that Plagiochila baylisii is fairly widespread though narrow-range endemic

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No


Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange 3 January 2009.

This page last updated on 9 Jan 2012