Kurzia hippuroides (Hook.f. & Taylor) Grolle
Type: Auckland Is., Nov. 1840, Hooker (FH!).
Lepidozia allisonii Herzog, Trans. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 68: 43. pl. 5, f. a–c. 1938.
Microlepidozia allisonii (Herzog) R.M.Schust., J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 26: 257. 1963.
Kurzia allisonii (Herzog) Grolle, Rev. Bryol. Lichénol. 32: 178. 1964 (1963).
Holotype: New Zealand, North Is., 12 miles E of Taupo, 2 Dec. 1933, Allison 227 (JE! – c. per.); isotype: (MPN, non vidi).
Armature of leaf disc and sinuses sporadically developed or lacking, the disc margins often entire, sinus teeth rarely present; leaves with disc 2–3 cells high, the lobes attenuate, 2–4 cells wide at base, plane.
Distribution and Ecology : New Zealand: Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, Stewart Island (5–690 m), South Island (2–1250 m), North Island (160–1280 m), Chatham Islands; Australia: Tasmania, Victoria. In New Zealand known from Fiordland, Southland, Otago, Westland, Western Nelson, Southern North Island (Tararua Ra., Hawkes Bay), Volcanic Plateau (Tongariro Natl. Park, Atiamuri), Gisborne, Auckland and Northland EPs.
More mesophytic and shade tolerant than our other species in subg. Microlepidozia. It occurs in forests of all types (Nothofagus, tall podocarps, Weinmannia) from near sea level to upper elevations (to over 850 m), over inorganic substrates such as the soil of the forest floor or mossy banks, or on organic substrates such as decaying, bryophyte-covered logs and stumps, soil in caves formed by tree roots, as well as tree-fern bases (particularly the dead stumps) and occasionally on the trunks themselves. When under forest it is found with Bazzania adnexa, B. nitida, Fissidens pallidus, Leucobryum candidum, Mittenia plumula, Rhizogonium distichum, R. pennatum, Zoopsidella caledonica, Zoopsis argentea and Z. leitgebiana.
Kurzia hippuroides extends into the penalpine zone in areas of Chionochloa, Dracophyllum longifolium, Olearia colensoi, Celmisia and Empodisma minus, occurring on the ground, at times forming damp swards between tussocks. The species also occurs in pakihi and in Carex swamps. In such open sites it occurs with Campylopus bicolor, C. clavatus, Pulchrinodus inflatus and Riccardia crassa.
Kurzia hippuroides is the most drought-tolerant species of the genus. It may occur, for example, on exposed soil of paths on steep slopes as far north as Radar Bush (WSW of Cape Reinga) and here, despite the rigorous habitat, forms perianths. Phases growing in forests, in partial or deep shade, on soil or humus, often in disturbed areas, as along paths, may be bright yellowish green. At the opposite extreme, helophytic phases (which may occur with K. tenax, K. calcarata and K. helophila, as on Swampy Summit, Otago) may be deeply infuscated and show a considerably different growth pattern.
On Stewart Island occurring loosely on ground of litter and soil under dense Gleichenia at 5 m in mosaic communities of stagnant ponds, Sphagnum bog, open Leptospermum scoparium – Dracophyllum heath to 1–2 m tall and dense communities of Gleichenia dicarpa and Empodisma minus (track to Mason Bay, Freshwater Landing). Also at the Mt. Rakeahua summit area (600–690 m) over exposed soil between boulders in mosaic communities of penalpine cushion vegetation, herbfields, Chionochloa, prostrate Leptospermum scoparium, Olearia colensoi from 0.5 m to 2 m tall and significant areas of exposed rock.
Comments : The type of Jungermannia hippuroides consists of plants that are rather small and compact, and the leaves have a low disc with weakly developed armature (Fig. 79: 3, 6, 9). The type of Lepidozia allisonii also consists of small plants, but not so minute as the original description (Herzog, 1938) would suggest. In addition, the disc margins, particularly on the more vigorous shoots, are frequently toothed (not entire as described), the disc is frequently more than 2 cells high and the leaf lobes are often broader than 2 cells wide (Fig. 79: 8).
The form and arrangement of terminal branches are distinctive. They are frequently subopposite, dorsally ascending and with leaf lobes dorsally assurgent. The ultimate branches are sometimes strongly dorsiventrally flattened as in Hatcher 298 (Waipoua Forest), whereas the type of Kurzia hippuroides has somewhat complanate branches, but not to the same degree.
