Temnoma angustifolium R.M.Schust.
Temnoma angustifolium R.M.Schust., Candollea 21: 279. f. 29. 1967 (1966).
Holotype: New Zealand, North Is., NW Ruahine Mtns., Otupae, Taihape, March 1934, Hodgson 666 (herb. Schuster); isotypes: (MPN!, CHR ex herb. Allison H1956!).
Plants loosely prostrate to ascending to suberect, brownish, the shoots moderate in size, ca. 20 mm long, 1–1.8(2) mm wide. Branches sparing, irregular, of Frullania and ventral-intercalary types. Leaves of sterile shoots 1300–1800 µm wide × 950–1300 µm long (cilia included), by far the maximal area covered by the cilia, the disc relatively small, the leaves quite succubously inserted, weakly to moderately imbricate, usually rather concave, the lobes and the long cilia usually directed forward (the leaf orientation thus at times appearing subtransverse, in contrast to its insertion), normally very strongly asymmetrically 0.2–0.25(0.3) quadrilobed (omitting the uniseriate cilia), the dorsal lobe terminating in 1–2 cilia, the dorsal lobe often greatly reduced in size and frequently so reduced that the leaf approaches a trifid condition; total number of cilia per leaf ca. 18–21. Lobes asymmetric, the ventral two usually larger, ca. 4–6 cells wide at base, the dorsal often obscure and only 1–2 cells long and 2–3(5) cells broad at base, the lobes each ending in an extraordinarily long, setigerous uniseriate portion (650–835 µm long, and thus much longer than the leaf lamina lying below); cilia of lobe apices formed of up to 6–8 cells, the cells smooth, highly differentiated, linear, very thick-walled, up to 18 µm wide × 130–160 µm long (7–9:1), dilated at the septa; lobe margins each with at most (1)2–3(4) setose cilia; sinuses normally not or obscurely gibbous, without cilia (and thus without abaxially displaced cilia). Disc normally strongly asymmetrical, oblique, posterior margin much longer than the anterior, the width of disc (at level of apex of dorsal lobe) usually inferior to the length, the disc (5)6–7(9) cells high; lamina margins each usually with 1–2 long, setose cilia, the cilia often a little tortuous but usually not recurved, 330–500 µm long. Juvenile leaves with disc becoming greatly reduced, only 2–3 cells long × 6–8 cells wide, but the setose cilia very long, ca. 600 µm long, few (often only terminating the 4 lobes, the cilia otherwise usually 0–4). Cells of disc evenly, somewhat thick-walled, those in disc middle large, 25–30 µm wide × (45)55–65(70) µm long; surface strongly striolate-papillose. Underleaves smaller than lateral leaves, with greatly reduced disc, which is broadly reniform-obtrapezoidal, only ca. 3 cells high (to sinuses) and ± symmetrically quadrifid, each short lobe only 2–4 cells wide × 2–3 cells long; lobes each bearing 1–3 long, stiff, setose cilia, the terminal one longest (to 650–775 µm long, thus 4–5× the height of lamina; formed of 6–8 cells); cilia per underleaf as a whole ca. 10–14, occasional ones bifurcate.
Androecia on leading shoots, somewhat more slender than vegetative portions of shoot, 0.8 mm wide; bracts closely imbricate, ventricose, symmetrical, distinctly smaller than leaves, the lobes erect, reduced to cilia of a uniseriate row of 5 cells from a quadrate disc, the margins of ventricose sector also with short spinose cilia; antheridia 1 per bract. Gynoecia unknown.
Distribution and Ecology : Endemic to New Zealand: South Island (190 m), North Island (ca. 500 m). Known only from two sites, the type locality, probably in the gorge of the Taruarau River east of Otupae (Ruahine Ra.), and from the Tiropahi River (North Westland). The type collection was from “side of gorge,” growing with Heteroscyphus triacanthus, Symphyogyna undulata and Dicranella cardotii. The South Island collection was on a limestone wall protected from direct rain under Nothofagus menziesii forest, and was growing with Heteroscyphus triacanthus, Radula ?buccinifera and Marchantia pileata. In both cases the plants were growing on plant debris, not directly on rock.
