Solenostoma rufiflorum
Jungermannia rufiflora Colenso, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 18: 237. 1886.
Solenostoma rufiflorum (Colenso) J.J.Engel, Novon 17: 312. 2007. Lectotype (fide Váňa, 1975): New Zealand, North Is., Waipawa Co., near Norsewood, 1885, Colenso a. 1361 (WELT – c. sporo.); isolectotypes: (G! – c. sporo., MPN, non vidi).
[Fig. 152: 3, oil-bodies, p. 698]
Plants delicate, thread-like, suberect to erect, in compact mats, ± nitid when dry, typically deep reddish brown to wine-red, minute, to 0.7 mm wide. Branching sparing to rather copious, the branches lateral-intercalary. Stem brownish green to wine-red, the cortical cells in surface view conspicuous, quadrate, thin-walled, smooth to finely papillose, in cross section the cortex moderately well differentiated, in 1(2) layers of deeply pigmented cells equal to or slightly larger than the medullary cells, their tangential walls often ± thickened; medullary cells pale, thin-walled. Rhizoids sparsely produced, almost absent from aerial portions of shoot. Leaves erect-appressed to obliquely spreading, distant, concave, shell-like, the insertion ± transverse, the leaves ovate to short-elliptic, entire, 360–575(640) µm wide × 385–560(630) µm long, the apex rounded; margins incurved, the dorsal margin decurrent as a narrow wing extending almost to the insertion of the next lower leaf, the ventral margin weakly decurrent. Cells firm-walled, trigones medium and straight-sided to bulging, the cells of lower median and basal portions of leaf short-rectangular, 17–20 µm wide × 24–27 µm long, the cells in distal sector smaller, 15–16 µm wide × 18–22 µm long; surface smooth to obscurely roughened (in older portions of plant) to coarsely papillose, not guttulate, the papillae on cells of distal sector of leaf low, 3.8–4.8 µm in diam., 10–15 per cell, the surface in basal cells closely striolate. Oil-bodies occupying a conspicuous portion of cell lumen, pale smokey grey, 3(4) per median leaf cell, very finely papillose, broad-elliptic to narrow-elliptic, most 4.8–7.2 × 10.6–12.5 µm, some 4.8 × 13.9 µm, less often globose and 5.8–6.7 µm in diam. Underleaves absent. Asexual reproduction absent.
Apparently dioecious. Androecia not seen. Gynoecia terminal, the shoots often innovating by numerous intercalary proliferations; bracts usually larger than the subgynoecial leaves, broadly ovate-elliptic, transversely inserted, not united with the perianth base. Perianth rather small, exceeding the bracts by half, ovoid-elliptic in outline, plicate in upper 0.5, tapering to an inconspicuous beak, the margins of the perianth mouth irregularly crenulate by bluntly projecting ends of the marginal cells, the marginal cells not much elongated; cells of perianth proper similar to the leaf cells.
Capsule dark red, the wall 2-stratose, 26–30 µm thick, the outer layer ca. 1.7× the inner layer in thickness; outer layer of cells short-rectangular, thin-walled or with very thin continuous, sheet-like thickenings, with knob-like thickenings of both the longitudinal and transverse walls; inner layer of cells with longitudinal walls with thin, sheet-like, pigmented thickenings and regular, narrow, complete scalariform bands or the bands attenuated and ending short of the opposite wall.
Spores wine-red, 14.4–17.3 µm in diam., papillose, the papillae mostly sharply distinct or united into short rows of 2–3 papillae. Elaters 6.7–7.2 µm wide, bispiral, the ends tapering to a short, sinuous-twisted tip, the spirals 2.4–2.9 µm wide, extending to the elater tips.
Distribution and Ecology : Endemic to New Zealand: Auckland Islands (600 m), South Island ([490]820–1480 m), North Island (1700–2025 m). Known from Fiordland, Southland, Otago, Westland, Western Nelson, Sounds–Nelson (Mt. Richmond) and Volcanic Plateau EPs.
A plant typically of exposed situations above ca. 500 m. Plants occurred on a ridge immediately north of Sewell Peak (820 m, Paparoa Ra., Westland) over pebbly soil of an exposed talus slope with some Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides and Leptospermum scoparium. In penalpine and alpine sites in exposed niches such as over soil of an exposed ridge with alpine vegetation at 1250–1450 m (below and W of Mt. Armstrong, Mt. Aspiring Natl. Park). At Rainbow Skifield (St. Arnaud Ra., Nelson Lakes Natl. Park) occurring on a slope at the edge of a tarn at 1360–1480 m in a mosaic of tussock grass and alpine vegetation along with tarns, rills, rocky outcrops and boulderfields. Also in an alpine fellfield on a flat area at a cliff base (1700 m, headwaters of Mangawhero River, Tongariro Natl. Park). Just south of the Top of the Bruce (N slope of Mt. Ruapehu, Tongariro Natl. Park) occurring over a thick soil layer in a rock crevice at 2025 m in an area of cliffs and outcrops with scattered alpine plants. The species has been found with Austrolophozia paradoxa, Bartramia papillata, Conostomum pentastichum, Dicranoweisia antarctica, Dicranum aucklandicum, Diplophyllum domesticum, Ditrichum difficile, D. punctulatum, Hygrolembidium acrocladum, Isotachis intortifolia, Kurzia hippuroides and Rhacocarpus purpurascens.
Comments : Among the distinctive features of this species is the conspicuous, turgid, quadrate cortical cells, which have deeply pigmented walls, and a characteristic transparent appearance, almost resembling a hyaloderm. This species and Solenostoma totipapillosum are the smallest members of the genus present in New Zealand, but S. rufiflorum is typically the smaller of the two. They are likely to be confused because the leaves of both are distinctly papillose. The distal leaf cells of both species are about equal in size, but the individual papillae of S. rufiflorum are smaller than those of S. totipapillosum, and there are consequently more papillae per cell (8–15 per cell, Fig. 152: 3 vs. 3–5 per cell in S. totipapillosum, Fig. 152: 4). In the basal portion of the leaf the surface is closely striolate, with welt-like papillae. The papillae are best seen on young leaves, since in older portions of the plant the papillae often become eroded and indistinct. The spores of S. rufiflorum may also be larger than those of S. totipapillosum : 14.4–17.3 µm vs. 12.5–13.4 µm in diam. For other differences, see the discussion under the latter species (p. 711).
