Telaranea lindenbergii (Gottsche) J.J.Engel & G.L.Merr.
Telaranea lindenbergii var. complanata J.J.Engel & Merrill, Phytologia 79: 252. June 1996 (1995).
Holotype: New Zealand, South Is., Otago Prov., Whare Flat, W of Dunedin, 70 m, Engel 17641 – c. sporo. (F).
Branches distinctly complanate-foliate, the branch leaves imbricate, obliquely spreading, incubously inserted and oriented; leaves of main axis variable in insertion, mostly subtransverse to moderately incubous, sporadically strongly oblique to almost longitudinal.
Distribution and Ecology : Endemic to New Zealand: Known from scattered sites on Stewart Island (5–200 m), South Island (120–150 m), North Island (180–570 m). Known from Otago (Dunedin), Volcanic Plateau (Rotorua) and Auckland (Herangi Ra., Kaimai Ra.) EPs.
The variety occurs in humid niches within forests of various types at lower elevations, and may be on rotten logs and on rich humus or clayey soil of banks. It also is present on caudices of Cyathea dealbata and Dicksonia squarrosa and in such niches may form large colonies; in particularly humid niches it is also found on old, very rotted, prostrate tree-fern trunks.
The Lee Bay site on Stewart Island is of interest. Plants occurred over soil of a drainage area just above the shoreline at the edge of very exposed, coastal scrub that includes Brachyglottis rotundifolia, Carpodetus serratus and Coprosma robusta; the coastal scrub is at the margin of a podocarp–hardwood forest. The niche likely would be exposed to periodic salt spray (see Engel and Schuster, 1973).
Comments : Similar in aspect and branching to var. lindenbergii, but differing chiefly in the flattened, comb-like branches with obliquely spreading, incubously oriented leaves. This plant is likely to be confused with Telaranea tetradactyla, which also has strongly complanate-foliate branches, but differs in the higher disc of the leaves of the main axis, which is typically 3 or often 4 cells high, vs. 2 or only rarely 3 cells high in var. complanata. In addition, the stems of var. complanata are stouter, with more numerous, thicker-walled medullary cells. Telaranea tetradactyla is also a much softer, laxer plant, with more irregular branching, and is essentially an extreme southern South Island plant.
