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Liverworts v1 (2008) - A Flora of the Liverworts and Hornworts of New Zealand Volume 1
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Allisoniella nigra (Rodway) R.M.Schust.

Allisoniella nigra (Rodway) R.M.Schust.

Sphenolobus nigrus Rodway, Tasman. Bryoph. 2: 33. 1916 (Pap. & Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania 1916: 83. 1917).

Cephaloziella nigra (Rodway) Grolle, J. Jap. Bot. 41: 225. 1966.

Allisoniella nigra (Rodway) R.M.Schust., Nova Hedwigia 22: 141. 1972 (1971). 

Type: Tasmania, Cradle Mtn.

Key to the subspecific taxa

1
Leaf lobes blunt to (more usually) narrowly to broadly rounded at the apex, to 32 cells wide at base. Autoecious. New Zealand. subsp. novaezelandiae
2
Leaf lobes acute to (usually) subacute or blunt, but not rounded, to 24 cells wide at base. Dioecious (fide Hodgson, 1965) or autoecious. New Zealand [+ Tasmania]. subsp. nigra
3
2
Leaves divided to 0.1–0.35; lobes broadly rounded
fo. novaezelandiae (p. 575)
Leaves divided to 0.45–0.55(0.6); lobes usually blunt to only narrowly rounded
fo. subobtusa (p. 575)
3
Plants autoecious. New Zealand
var. acutiloba (p. 576)
Plants dioecious. [Tasmania]
var. nigra

Comments : This species has two subspecies, subsp. nigra of Tasmania and New Zealand, and  subsp. novaezelandiae of our area. Grolle (1966d) and Schuster (1972a, fig. 3: 2–5) illustrated the type. Grolle (1966d) also placed Allisoniella obcordata E.A.Hodgs. into the synonymy of A. nigra. Schuster (1972a) described A. nigra subsp. novaezelandiae, and A. obcordata appears to be identical to that taxon. Schuster (1972a) provided formal recognition to a form,  fo. subobtusa R.M.Schust., which has, when compared to  fo. novaezelandiae, more deeply descending sinuses and leaf lobes more rounded.

There remains a question of sexuality of this species. Allisoniella obcordata was stated to be dioecious by Hodgson (1965); we have been unable to corroborate the Hodgson statement.  Subspeciesnovaezelandiae is autoecious (Schuster, 1972a). In view of all these ambiguities, and because of the paucity of adequate material available, we continue to treat these three extremes as one species, as follows.

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