Species

Aloina ambigua

Etymology

ambigua: uncertain, doubtful

Common Name(s)

moss

Current Conservation Status

2009 - Non Resident Native - Vagrant

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

Qualifiers

2009 - SO

Authority

Aloina ambigua (B.S.G.) Limpr.

Family

Pottiaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Moss

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (Te Paki, Hawkes Bay and Carterton) (see Glenny et al. 2011; also P.J. de Lange unpubl. data). Also Europe, North Africa, North America and Australia (South Australia and Victoria).

Habitat

Lowland. Collected from clay at the bottom of roadside drains and from a cemetery.

Features

Terricolous. Leaves slightly curled when dry, long and spreading when moist, c.1.0-3.0 × 0.3-0.7 mm, lingulate, base shortly sheathing, apex cucullate, incurved, ± obtuse (± subacute when flattened out), margin entire. Upper cells quadrate to rectangular, transversely elongate, trigones prominent, basal cells rectangular, slightly smaller than upper cells, trigones similar, walls firm. Costa ceasing at or below apex, filaments short, 3-6 cells high, branched, terminal cell nearly spherical to elongately ovoid. Dioecious. Seta 6-12 mm long, red, paler above. Capsule erect, elongately cylindrical, dark brown; operculum elongate; annulus narrow, persistant; calyptra hardly covering more than the operculum; peristome teeth weakly twisted when dry, borne separately on a distinct basal membrane projecting above the theca mouth. Spores 14-16 µm.

Fruiting

September

Threats

Known from only three sites from where it is evidently spreading. Indications are that it is a recent arrival to New Zealand, although whether it is naturalised or indigenous is still not clear. The few known sites are all in sites vulnerable to changes in roading and landuse. Aloina ambigua is abundant in Australia.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Attribution

Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 13 October 2011. Description adapted from Catcheside (1980).

References and further reading

Catcheside, D.G. 1980: Mosses of South Australia. Government Printer, South Australia

Glenny, D.; Fife, A.J.; Brownsey, P.J.; Renner, M.A.M.; Braggins, J.E.; Beever, J.E.; Hitchmough, R. 2011: Threatened and uncommon bryophytes of New Zealand (2010 Revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 49: 305-327.

This page last updated on 25 Jul 2014