Trichotemnoma corrugatum (Steph.) R.M.Schust.
Blepharostoma corrugatum Steph., Hedwigia 32: 315. 1893 (“corrugata”).
Temnoma corrugatum (Steph.) R.M.Schust., Bryologist 62: 240. 1959.
Trichotemnoma corrugatum (Steph.) R.M.Schust., J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 27: 154. 1964, nom. inval.
Trichotemnoma corrugatum (Steph.) R.M.Schust., Nova Hedwigia 15: 440. 1968.
Type: New Zealand, Stewart Is., Kirk 266 (MPN, hb. Hodgson no. 13920, non vidi).
Distribution and Ecology : New Zealand: Auckland Islands, Stewart Island, South Island (0–1300 m); Australia: Tasmania. In New Zealand known from Fiordland (Preservation Inlet, Dusky Sound, Milford, West Arm of Lake Manapouri), Westland (Omoeroa Saddle, Hohonu Ra. and Tiropahi River) and Western Nelson (Paparoa Ra., Te Kuha ridge, Denniston and Stockton Plateau) EPs, the northern limit at Stockton Plateau.
In New Zealand the species has a local and sporadic distribution in niches where desiccation never occurs. It rarely is found on the floor of forests of Nothofagus, Metrosideros umbellata, Archeria traversii and Lepidothamnus intermedius. More commonly it occurs under Leptospermum scoparium scrub that grades into Leptospermum shrublands and open pakihi dominated by Empodisma minus and Gleichenia microphylla. It is rarely found in the penalpine zone under Chionochloa pallens tussockland on shaded south-facing hillslopes and it is found at various altitudes on rock faces kept constantly wet by dripping water. For an example of this last habitat, along the track to Bowen Falls at Milford Sound plants occur at sea level and loosely creep and form pure or nearly pure (and then admixed with Heteroscyphus decipiens) spongy masses on dripping, exposed, vertical cliffs with a dense bryophyte cover. The species also grows rather exposed at Omoeroa Saddle (Westland Natl. Park). Here it occurred in a bog with shrub heath vegetation that includes Juncus sp., Carex sp. and stunted Libocedrus bidwillii surrounded by mature Dacrydium cupressinum forest. At this site plants form small mounds at the sloping sides of small raised areas at the bases of Libocedrus saplings; plants occur at the upper reaches of this niche where periodic drying is probable. These raised areas are between wet depressions where standing water is common. At the Omoeroa site the species apparently is restricted to the crest of the boggy area, where some drainage is probable.
Trichotemnoma also occurs under Gleichenia in a low-lying, waterlogged, acidic site with poor drainage (pakihi) at White Horse Creek (S of Charleston, ca. 300 m, leg. John Child). However, the species also may be found in humid, protected sites. At Monkey Puzzle Gorge (South Westland, 120 m), for example, it occurred very loosely over Lepidozia spinosissima and L. microphylla in a cave-like area under a tree mass within a forest dominated by Nothofagus menziesii and Dacrydium cupressinum with some N. solandri var. cliffortioides; at this site the floor and banks within the forest are dominated by bryophytes. Accompanying species under forest are Acrobolbus lophocoleoides, Archeophylla schusteri, Bazzania novae-zelandiae, Dicranoloma robustum, Hymenophyllum multifidum, Lepidozia spinosissima, Megalembidium insulanum, Schistochila glaucescens, Treubia lacunosa and Wijkia extenuata. Accompanying species in a more open pakihi habitat are Acromastigum anisostomum, A. brachyphyllum, Dicranoloma robustum, Heteroscyphus decipiens, Kurzia calcarata, Lepicolea scolopendra, Lepidozia hirta, L. ulothrix, Isolembidium anomalum, Pleurophascum grandiglobum and Saccogynidium decurvum. In penalpine tussocklands accompanying species are Adelanthus occlusus, Blepharidophyllum vertebrale, Breutelia elongata, Clandarium xiphophyllum, Eotrichocolea polyacantha, Gackstroemia alpina, Goebeliella cornigera, Heteroscyphus mononuculus, Radula sainsburiana and Riccardia colensoi.
The habit of Trichotemnoma is distinctive: plants are at times rather long, scraggly and not particularly gregarious, while at other times they form soft, spongy, pale to yellow-green pure patches or tufts that can be up to 150 mm in diam.
Comments : Trichotemnoma corrugatum is a distinct plant and should not be confused with any of our other species. Plants are pale green or a bright yellowish green and do not develop secondary pigments even when growing under exposed conditions; the color is distinctive in the field. In this respect alone it differs from Temnoma pulchellum, which it superficially resembles, and other members of that genus, all of which freely develop brownish pigmentation. Plants of T. corrugatum may be distinguished by the strongly succubously oriented, undulate-crispate leaves with, basically, 4 lobes, but, typically, several accessory lobes are developed, particularly in well-developed phases. All lobes are incurved, the ventral lobes broadly and gently so, while the dorsal-most lobes are notably sharply incurved (Fig. 124: 1, 2). The leaves are strongly asymmetric, with the ventral half of the disc much higher than the dorsal (Fig. 124: 1, 2). For further discussion, including comments regarding taxonomic placement of the genus, see Engel (2005b).
