Telaranea nivicola R.M.Schust.
Telaranea nivicola R.M.Schust., Nova Hedwigia 15: 460. pl. 52. 1968.
Holotype: New Zealand, South Is., above Sealy Lakes, Sealy Ra., Mt. Cook Natl. Park, ca. 5500 ft., Schuster 67-491b (F).
Plants very delicate (leaf cells collapsing in drying), lax, light or clear green, whitish with age, rather nitid to glistening; shoots 670–800 µm wide with leaves. Branching rather common, irregular, of the Frullania type; branch half-leaf often dorsally assurgent, undivided, biseriate at base; first branch underleaf on ventral-lateral side of branch somewhat above its base, often strongly asymmetric, one segment leaf-lobe-like and 4–5 cells long, the other consisting of a single elongated cell with several small rhizoid initial cells at its base, ending in a slime papilla, or aborted. Ventral-intercalary branches at least as common as terminal branches. Stems rather succulent in appearance, with 9–10 rows of large, delicate, leptodermous, cortical cells (being ca. 3.5–4× the radial diam. of medullary cells); medulla with (14)18–24 rows of small cells. Leaves distant, transverse to feebly incubous, (230)365–415 µm long, asymmetric, with the ventral lobe of 3-fid leaves smaller, (2)3-fid on leading stems (the basal cell pairs connate for up to 0.5 their length, forming a vestigial disc 4–6 cells broad). Lobes acuminate, strongly tapered, broadly incurved, consisting of a basal pair of distinctly elongate cells and a uniseriate row of 3–4 cells (rarely biseriate for an additional tier above base), the dorsal lobe(s) usually somewhat longer, the ventral lobe of 3-fid leaves at times uniseriate to base. Cells large, turgid and barrel-shaped, the paired basal cells approaching 0.5 the length of lobe, ca. 38–40 µm wide × 85–120 µm long to 50–55 µm wide × 150–180 µm long; first cell of uniseriate segment 26–40 µm wide × 66–86 µm long to ca. 36–55 µm wide × 95–125 µm long, the terminal 1–2 cell(s) much shorter and strongly tapering to a rounded tip; cells thin-walled but firm, the transverse septa constricted; surface smooth. Oil-bodies (fide Schuster, 1968b) colorless, ± homogeneous but not strongly glistening, fusiform to ellipsoidal to crescentic-fusiform, (4)5–9(10) per cell (except in small 1–2 distal cells), mostly 1.5–2 × 3–6 µm to 2.2 × 2.8–3.5 µm up to 1.5–1.8(2) × 6.5–8 µm. Underleaves small and inconspicuous, 3–4-fid; lobes usually 1–2-celled, terminating in a slime papilla, the basal cells of lobes distinctly elongated (to 3:1), inserted on a pair of laterally juxtaposed cells or with secondary divisions resulting in a disc-like tier of small, quadrate, rhizoid initials. Asexual reproduction lacking.
Androecia not seen. Gynoecia (see Schuster, 1968b, fig. 52: 1, ♀ bracts).
Distribution and Ecology : Endemic to New Zealand: South Island (1435 m), North Island (1370 m). Known from Westland (Mt. Brewster), Canterbury (Sealy Ra.) and Southern North Island (Ruahine Ra.) EPs.
Known only from a few widely scattered sites. The type occurred amidst Allisonia cockaynei, Austrolophozia paradoxa, Chiloscyphus cuspidatus, Isotachis lyallii and Phyllothallia nivicola on dead Chionochloa culms. The plant also occurs in the penalpine tussock zone at ca. 1435 m on Mt. Brewster and was removed from mats of Allisonia cockaynei, intermingled with Diplophyllum domesticum, Isotachis lyallii, Metzgeria furcata, Phyllothallia nivicola, Solenostoma rufiflorum and Telaranea quadriseta. Also known from two stations in the Ruahine Ra., both in the Whanahuia Ra.; one of these occurred in boggy areas at 1370 m on Mt. Mangahuia.
Comments : A distinctive species, very similar to Telaranea pseudozoopsis (Herzog) Fulford of southern South America, the Falkland Islands and Juan Fernandez. Both have leaf lobes of somewhat turgid cells, constricted at the septa, with marked and progressive reduction in cell size from lobe base to apex. Both species have 2- to 3-fid stem leaves. However, T. pseudozoopsis has a distinct disc formed of a single cell tier of slightly elongated cells, smaller than the basal lobe cells. It also has a cortex of immense inflated cells and the underleaves are apparently always 2-lobed, vs. 3–4-lobed in T. nivicola.
This species resembles a small version of Telaranea remotifolia, in its rather flaccid, sinuous, loosely matted stems, and the leaves shrunken and inconspicuous when dry. The plants have a iridescent, glass-like appearance when dry.
