Chandonanthus squarrosus (Hook.) Schiffn.
Jungermannia squarrosa Hook., Musci Exot. 1: t. 78. 1818.
Type: New Zealand, Dusky Bay, Menzies.
Anastrophyllum tasmanicum Rodway, Pap. & Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania 1916: 46. 11 July 1916 (Tasman. Bryoph. 2: 37. 30 Aug. 1916) ≡
Roivainenia tasmanica (Rodway) Grolle, J. Jap. Bot. 41: 146. 1966.
Lectotype (fide Engel and Braggins, 1998): Tasmania, Mt. Hartz Plateau, Dec. 1914, Rodway – c. per. (HO!).
Acrobolbus aequaelobus E.A.Hodgs., Trans. Roy. Soc. New Zealand, Bot. 3: 81. 1965.
Holotype: New Zealand, Maungawaru Plateau, Raukumara Ra., Jan. 1953, Druce (MPN, non vidi); isotype: (CHR!).
Distribution and Ecology : New Zealand: Auckland Islands (150–360 m), Antipodes Islands (145–300 m), Stewart Island, South Island (70–1530 m), North Island (240–1370 m); Australia: Tasmania, Victoria. Known in New Zealand from Fiordland, Southland (Garvie Mtns., Ajax Hill swamp), Otago (coastal and inland), Canterbury (including Banks Peninsula), Westland, Western Nelson, Sounds–Nelson, Marlborough (Mt. Stokes, Hodder River), Southern North Island, Taranaki, Volcanic Plateau, Gisborne, Auckland and Northland EPs.
A species with a notably broad ecological amplitude, especially with regard to habitat-moisture availability and exposure. It may form mound-like, pure, often huge, dense, thick clumps or masses on the forest floor, often in well-drained conditions such as steep slopes. Also present over rock and boulders, at times where some soil has accumulated, as well as on cliff faces and exposed rocky knolls. It is able to tolerate considerable exposure, e.g., it forms large, pure patches on soil over rock of an old lava flow on Rangitoto Island (Auckland) and in such exposed situations often is associated with the moss Racomitrium. In such terrestrial habitats it is found with Anastrophyllum schismoides, Bazzania involuta var. submutica, Dicranoloma billardierei, Distichophyllum pulchellum, Gackstroemia alpina, G. weindorferi, Hypnum chrysogaster, Jamesoniella colorata, Leifidium tenerum, Leptotheca gaudichaudii, Racomitrium crispulum, R. pruinosum and Wijkia extenuata. At times as small tufts on shrubs or as mounds “capping” tree stumps, or on tree trunks (e.g., of Nothofagus), at times occupying large areas of the trunk. In forests it is a common upper branch epiphyte (on Dacrydium cupressinum, Dracophyllum longifolium, D. traversii, Halocarpus biformis, Leptospermum scoparium, Nothofagus fusca, N. menziesii, N. solandri, Olearia colensoi, Podocarpus totara and Weinmannia racemosa) and appears to be a tree-canopy species. It is not uncommon on fallen tree branches of various sizes, often in large masses. Such masses are particularly noteworthy for the size and density: on the track to Alex Knob (Westland Natl. Park, 900 m) a mass over 1 kg in weight and ca. 60 cm in diam. was observed fallen on the floor. Hepatics in tree-canopy niches must, to some degree, be drought-tolerant since during rain-free periods the habitat is xerophytic except for mists and fog. The species also is common on tree trunks and branches at the forest edge and in low forest near the treeline. As an epiphyte it is found with Cuspidatula monodon, Dicnemon calycinum, D. semicryptum, Lepicolea attenuata, Lepidolaena taylorii, Leptostomum inclinans, Macromitrium longipes, Plagiochila circinalis and Weymouthia mollis.
For description see the genus.
Comments : A distinctive plant, especially when well developed, that should not be confused with any other of our species. Plants are vigorous and the shoots simple or sparingly branched. Shoots have a curious 4-angled appearance due to the 4 regular rows of leaf apices, with each leaf bifid (Fig. 138: 1, 2). Underleaves are large, also bifid, with lobe and lamina margins with several variable cilia/laciniae (Fig. 138: 7–9). The stems are densely paraphyllose (Fig. 138: 1, 2), a condition that may be easily seen with a hand lens.
Suboptimal plants may offer confusion. For example, plants on small branches of Olearia growing prostrate over a mat of Frullania aterrima are small for the species and have dor- sally assurgent leaves with lobes that are plane and not canaliculate. Such plants have a superficial resemblance to a Lophozia. Such plants, however, have characters of Chandonanthus squarrosus such as a) presence of distinct underleaves, though small for the shoot size compared to well-developed plants; b) stem paraphyllia, though smaller in stature and more sparsely developed; and c) well-developed surface papillae that are very similar to those of well-developed plants.
