The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Blindia lewinskyae

Common Name(s)

moss

Current Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened

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

Authority

Blindia lewinskyae J.K.Bartlett et Vitt

Family

Seligeriaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Moss

Synonyms

None (first described in 1986)

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, Westland where it is mainly found from Westport south to the Paparoa National Park

Features

Autoicous moss up to 200 mm long, olive-green to black, with yellow-green to dark-green stem tips, forming dense, soft, flexuose tufts. Stems with outer cells thick-walled. leaves flexuose-secund when dry, similar when moist, 9.0-15.0 mm long, from an oblong-lanceolate base quickly narrowed to a flexuose, filiform subula, acute, lamina c.3 mm long, about 1/4 to 1/6 the subula length; margins entire. Nerve 60-120 x 6-10 microns, linear to elongate, walls 2-3 microns thick, thin-walled, those near nerve orange, more or less thick-walled, somewhat porose and straight. Alar cells 30-70 x 10-20 microns, somewhat larger than basal cells, gradually differentiated and forming a decurrent, thin-walled group, rectangular, some leaves with hyaline and more or less inflated cells. perichaetial leaves from a wide, ovate base quickly contracted to a long subula c.6-8x lamina length, concave, sheathing. Seta 4.0-7.0 mm long, rigid stout, straight (not twisted), erect. Capsules with urns 0.7-1.2 x 0.7-1.0 mm, exserted. Exothecial cells near mid urn 20-40 x 20-30 microns, irregularly rectangular to quadrate-rounded, moderately thick-walled, pachydermous, becoming smaller distally, rim cells elliptic to rounded, thinner-walled. Stomates not seen. Peristome reduced to a few, hyaline, rectangular cells. Operculum conic, stoutly rostrate, beak long, more or less bent. Spores 28-44 microns.

Fruiting

Fruits may be found throughout the year

Threats

Not Threatened. Listed because it is a naturally uncommon, range restricted species. However, some populations on the Stockton Plateau are at risk from coal mining

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 25 Jul 2014