The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Symphysodontella cylindracea

Common Name(s)

moss

Current Conservation Status

2009 - Data Deficient

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

Symphysodontella cylindracea (Mont.) M. Fleisch

Family

Pterobryaceae

Flora Category

Non Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Moss

Distribution

Indigenous. New Zealand: Kermadec Islands (Raoul Island). Widespread in the Pacific from about the Philippines southeast to about the Cooks and Tahiti

Habitat

The sole Kermadec Island gathering came from the 'wet' forest type on Raoul Island where it was collected from the basal trunk of a hutu (Ascarina lucida var. lanceolata) lying amongst cyclone-toppled branches of Kermadec pohutukawa (Metrosideros kermadecensis). This species is apparently a common moss of forested islands throughout the Pacific and it usually grows on exposed tree roots, trunks and branches in closed forest situations. On Raoul Island the species has a superficial similarity to another moss genus Camptochaete two species of which are known from there, so it is possible that it has been overlooked.

Features

Pale green to pinkish-green lustrous moss. Corticolous or terricolous. Secondary stems rigid, ± frondose from a short wiry stipe up to 50 mm long (rarely longer). Leaves oblong-ovate, deeply concave, abruptly short-acuminate; margins entire, broadly inflexed above; costa faint, variable, short and double or unequally forked within one branch extending nearly to mid leaf; cells narrowly linear, smooth, with firm, pale walls, short, porose, and golden brown across insertion. Perichaetial leaves erect. Seta very short; capsule immersed, cylindrical, narrowed towards mouth, urn up to 3 mm long; peristome teeth pale yellow, pellucid, equidistant, smooth, with a median furrow, deeply inserted; calyptra cucullate; spores papillose (n/b Fruiting material not seen in the Kermadec Islands specimen).

Fruiting

Fruiting material not seen in the Kermadec Islands specimen

Threats

Known only from a single gathering made from Raoul Island during the May 2011 Kermadec Biodiscovery Expedition. That specimen was collected from the basal trunk of a hutu (Ascarina lucida var. lanceolata) lying amongst cyclone-toppled branches of Kermadec pohutukawa (Metrosideros kermadecensis) on the south-eastern side of the island near Mahoe. As no further specimens were collected at this stage it seems best to assign this species a threat assessment of 'Data Deficient'.

Endemic Taxon

No

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 20 Oct 2014