Isolembidium anomalum (Rodway) Grolle
Lembidium cucullatum E.A.Hodgs., Rec. Domin. Mus. 4: 1. 1962.
Isolembidium cucullatum (E.A.Hodgs.) R.M.Schust., Nova Hedwigia 15: 466. 1968.
Type: Auckland Is., above Musgrave Peninsula, Jan. 1944, Oliver (ex herb. Hodgson 11715) (MPN, non vidi); isotype (fragment): (F!).
[Fig. 111: 5; Fig. 112: 3, 7–9]
Plants straight distally, not decurved. Terminal branching irregular, remote, sporadic on weaker plants, not aggregated to form a deltoid to subflabellate outline; branch leaves with apices consistently entire, edentate. Stems with medulla 10–14 cells high.
Distribution and Ecology : New Zealand: Campbell Island, Auckland Islands, Stewart Island (5 m); Australia: Tasmania.
This rare variety grows on Campbell Island usually as isolated stems in alpine moors, e.g., summit of Mt. Faye (Schuster, 2000a). On Stewart Island plants occur over a humus layer and dead debris under a dense layer of Gleichenia in a small open area among Leptospermum scoparium scrub 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, ca. 1–1.8 km W of Freshwater Landing, 5 m).
Comments : A distinctive plant, readily recognized by its erect growth and triseriate shoots, with identical leaves and underleaves, which are strongly concave or even hooded at the apices. The opaque, undivided, polystratose leaves with a field of swollen cells at the apex are distinctive. The stem anatomy is also notable.
We are not certain that the two varieties will be able to be maintained when more collections come to hand. It is possible that var. cucullatum is merely a form of difficult conditions, e.g., exposed sites on Stewart Island or alpine areas. In both areas plants tend to occur as isolated individuals in a peaty low turf. Under such conditions, branching of the erect sectors of the gametophyte may be much reduced, so that the pinnate aspect fails to develop.
