The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Blindia contecta

Common Name(s)

moss

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 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2009 - RR, SO

Authority

Blindia contecta (Hook.f. et Wilson) Müll.Hal.

Family

Seligeriaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Moss

Synonyms

Weissia contecta Hook.f. et Wilson

Distribution

Indigenous. Mainly subantarctic. recorded from Iles de Kerguelen, Heard, Campbell and the Auckland Islands. Also reported from South America (Chile) but those records are not substantiated by specimens

Features

Autoicous, robust, subaquatic moss forming loose, somewhat dull to lustrous tufts. Plants golden-green to yellow-brown above, olive-green to black below. Stems stuff, rigidly and sparsely branched, with outer stem cells thick-walled. Leaves rigid, loosely erect to slightly secund, occasionally with apices curved, sometimes contorted to helicoid when dry, stiffly erect to spreading, upper portions slightly reflexed when moist, 3.0-8.0 mm long; lamina long subulate from an ovate to oblong-ovate base with subulae hemispheric in transverse section. about 2x lamina length, acute to narrowly obtuse, some leaves deciduous, not decurrent; margins entire. Nerve more or less 100-200 microns wide, variable in width, but always strong and distinct. Upper cells 8-20 x 5-8 microns, rounded-quadrate to short-rectangular, thick-walled, covering the excurrent costa. Lower cells 30-140 x 5-10 microns, elongate to rectangular, thick-walled, non-porose, straight. Alar cells 20-65 x 10-35 microns, variable, slightly enlarged and hyaline to thicker-walled, orange, and inflated, sometimes auriculate, not reaching nerve. Perichaetial leaves similar to vegetative, more or less wider at base. perigonia lateral below perichaetia. Seta 1.0-2.0 mm long, thick, stout, straight not twisted. Capsules with urns 0.5-1.1 mm long, hemispheric to obovate when dry and moist, brown, deeply immersed. Exothecial cells 15-35 microns wide at mid-urn, decreasing in size towards rim, isodiametric to rounded, thick-walled, rim cells in 5-10 rows, oblate to quadrate, with thick,. sinuous walls. Stomates not seen. Peristome of 16, lanceolate teeth, hyaline above, broken in upper portions in old capsules and blunt. Operculum conic rostrate, the beak more or less erect, long. Spores 32-40 microns.

Fruiting

Although fruit has been seen insufficient information exists to provide any details on the timing of fruiting

Threats

Not Threatened. Listed because it qualifies as Range Restricted within the New Zealand part of its range.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Jul 2014