Flora of New Zealand Series

Mastigobryum novae-hollandiae f. τ 3 submuticum Lindenb. & Gottsche, Sp. Hepat. fasc. 8–11: 33, 46. 1851 (“submutica”).

Bazzania involuta fo. submutica (Lindenb. & Gottsche) E.A.Hodgs. ex Hamlin, Rec. Domin. Mus. 7: 251. 1972.

Bazzania involuta var. submutica (Lindenb. & Gottsche) J.J.Engel & Merrill, Bryologist 97: 314. 1994. 

Type: New Zealand, South Is., Dusky Bay, “in hb. n. 15” (S!).

[Fig. 93: 2]

Plants medium, prostrate to ascending, shoots 1–2.4 mm wide, compact, clearly anisophyllous; first branch underleaf often free, obliquely inserted; leaf apex shallowly tridentate, otherwise entire, the leaf margins entire; underleaves moderately spreading, small and hemispherical, the margins narrowly revolute, subentire. Oil-bodies at midleaf 2–3 per cell, homogeneous, smooth surfaced, colorless, spherical and 4–7 µm in diam. to ellipsoidal and 4–8 × 5.5–12 µm; oil-bodies at base of leaf 2–6 per cell, homogeneous but surface like a potato when large, ellipsoidal and 5–8 × 11–14.5 µm or spherical and 5–7 µm in diam.

Distribution and Ecology : Endemic to New Zealand: South Island (sea level–890 m), North Island (945–1100 m). Known from Otago (Mt. Cargill), Westland (Haast, Paringa River, Nelson Lakes Natl. Park), Southern North Island (Eastbourne, Rimutaka Ra., Tararua Ra., Ruahine Ra.), Gisborne (Urewera Natl. Park), Auckland (Coromandel Peninsula, Little Barrier Island) and Northland (Waipoua Forest) EPs.

On humus, tree stumps, rotten logs and tree bases under forest, mainly in pure Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides forest, but also N. solandri var. cliffortioides forest mixed with N. menziesii, N. fusca and Metrosideros umbellata. Associated species are Bazzania adnexa, Chandonanthus squarrosus, Clandarium xiphophyllum, Dicranoloma menziesii, D. robustum, Distichophyllum pulchellum, Heteroscyphus cuneistipulus, Hymenophyllum bivalve, Hypnum cupressiforme, Leifidium tenerum, Lepicolea attenuata, L. scolopendra, Leucobryum candidum, Plagiochila circinalis, P. deltoidea, P. fasciculata, Pyrrhobryum mnioides, Trichocolea mollissima, Weymouthia cochlearifolia and Wijkia extenuata. The var. submutica only sporadically occurs in the penalpine zone, whereas var. involuta often is found above treeline under penalpine scrub and tussockland.

Comments : This is a relatively common plant, which differs from typical Bazzania involuta in having narrower shoots and much smaller underleaves, which are only moderately spreading, narrowly revolute and subentire. The plants have a distinctive “channeled” appearance in ventral aspect, with crowded, densely imbricate leaves and a yellow-green color (in the dried condition) that resembles that of typical B. involuta. When fresh, the plants are yellow-green, the same color as often seen in B. adnexa, whereas typical B. involuta is usually straw-yellow when fresh.

The var. submutica can be confused with poorly developed expressions of Bazzania adnexa, but the absence of pseudo-dichotomous branching, the form of the first branch underleaf, and the underleaf and its areolation are helpful in distinguishing the variety. Plants of B. adnexa typically have underleaves with ragged, broadly hyaline margins (Fig. 94: 6, 7, 10) and “butterfly type” first branch underleaves that are marginally connate with an underleaf of the main shoot (Fig. 95: 1). The leaves of var. submutica are convex from the dorsal view, while those of B. adnexa are more plane.