The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Archidium elatum

Common Name(s)

Moss

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 Endangered

Qualifiers

2009 - DP, Sp, ?TO

Authority

Archidium elatum Dixon et Sainsbury

Family

Archidiaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic to New Zealand, known from three sites in the North Island (Ahipara, Bay of Islands and Lake Rotomahana) and from one site on the main Chatham (Rekohu) Island (Otauwae Point).

Features

Dark brown-green or yellow-brown tufted moss. Individual plants 7-15 mm tall, stems simple or weakly branched, stem leaves 0.7-1 x 0.25-0.30 mm erecto-patent, spreading, occasionally reduced to bracts below. Plants sterile, archegonia present, antheridia unknown; perichaetium terminal, perichaetial leaves erect to erecto-patent, channelled, 1.3-1.5 x 0.30-0.35 mm, narrowly deltoid, linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, base ovate, apex acute to broadly acuminate, margins plane or recurved, entire, occasionally serrulate; costa broad, flattened, 88 micrometre (69–115 micrometre) wide in median section, filling 1/3 or more of leaf base, subpercurrent to percurrent; median cells firm-walled, varying in shape from quadrate, trapezoidal to tabular or narrowly rhomboidal; mostly tabular to rhomboidal 20-50 x 9-12 micometre, upper cells mostly rhomboidal, reaching 50-70 micrometre along margins, alar and basal cells uniformly quadrate to short-tabular, smaller than median cells, 14-28 x 9-14 micrometre.

Fruiting

Capsules unknown in this species

Threats

Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum Chiov.) has been identified as a threat and possible cause of extinction at one site. The possibility that A. elatum has been overlooked over large parts of its range must be considered highly likely.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Aug 2013