Pseudocephalozia lepidozioides R.M.Schust.
Pseudocephalozia lepidozioides R.M.Schust., Nova Hedwigia 10: 22. 1965.
Holotype: New Zealand, South Is., Fiordland, Doubtful Sound Track, W of Lake Manapouri, between Wilmot Pass and Spey River, along Dashwood Stream, 450–480 m, Schuster 52610b (F!).
Lepidozia leptodictyon Herzog, Trans. & Proc. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 68: 45. 1938.
Holotype: New Zealand, North Is., near Atiamuri, ca. 1000 ft., 18 July 1929, Allison 70 (JE!); isotype: (MPN!).
[Plate 8D; Fig. 104: 3, oil-bodies, p. 452]
Plants bright, pellucid green, nitid when dry, to 1.7 mm wide. Branching intercalary, always (or nearly always) from ventral part of axils of lateral leaves, with Frullania -type branches rare or sporadic (and present in some populations only); stoloniform ventral-intercalary branches sparingly produced at base; leafy shoots occasionally flagelliform and geotropic at apices. Stems with a soft-textured cortex of 8–12 rows of large, thin-walled cells, the medulla of much smaller, delicate, leptodermous cells, 5–6 cells across. Rhizoids frequently produced from bases of underleaves on leafy shoots, on stoloniform axes from leaf- and underleaf-bases. Leaves unistratose, rather strongly and stiffly spreading, obtrapezoidal, 4(5)-lobed to 0.5, sporadically 3-lobed on weak stems, 5-lobed on unusually vigorous ones, 3–4-lobed to 0.65 in some populations, the sinuses V- to broadly U-shaped, the leaves somewhat succubously inserted but subtransversely oriented, 775–850 µm wide at apices, 600–685 µm long; lobes divergent, straight, rarely clearly incurved, narrowly acute to short-acuminate and 4–8 cells broad at base, to long-acuminate and (2)3–4 cells broad at base, terminating in a uniseriate row of (2)3–4(7) slightly to strongly elongated cells that are progressively smaller distally; disc 3–5 to 6–8 cells high, clearly narrowed to base, with margins almost straight or weakly arched. Cells leptodermous, delicate, polygonal, the median cells 36–48 µm wide × (42)50–75(80) µm long, the basal cells 45–65 µm wide × 65–90 µm long; surface smooth. Oil-bodies occupying a small portion of cell, hyaline, 2–4 per median disc cell, botryoidal, the globules distinctly protruding beyond the membrane, the oil-bodies elliptic to often ± fusiform, 3.5–4.5 × 8–11 µm, occasionally spherical and then 3.5–5 µm in diam.; basal cells with no oil-bodies or 2, lobes with same number per cell as midleaf. Underleaves small to very small, at most 165–200(220) µm wide and long but usually much smaller, only 4–6 cells wide, inserted on 2–3(4) stem cortical cells; lobes rudimentary and finger-like, consisting of 1–2(3) elongated cells (often 1–2 lobes aborted and only 1-celled), terminating in a slime papilla; disc of 1–2 tiers of small, subisodiametric cells. Fungal partner an ascomycete?
Androecia not seen. Gynoecia on abbreviated, lateral-intercalary branches, the perianths seeming nearly sessile on main stems; bracts in 2 series, small, those of inner series subovate, erect-appressed, irregularly lobulate distally; bracteoles similar. Perianth firm, cylindrical and hardly trigonous distally, contracted to mouth, the mouth lobulate, the lobe apices crenulate-setulose with pointed, narrow, tapered cells, 13–16 × (60)80–120(148) µm, free only at their tips; perianth bistratose basally.
Sporophyte unknown.
Distribution and Ecology : Endemic to New Zealand: Stewart Island (5–530 m), South Island (700–1480 m), North Island (60–1320 m). Known from Fiordland, Westland, Canterbury (at the Main Divide), Western Nelson, Volcanic Plateau, Gisborne and Northland (Waipoua, Radar Bush) EPs.
With a scattered but widespread distribution over much of New Zealand. Found on soil and decomposing leaf litter in a variety of habitats ranging from forest and scrub to flushes in tussockland and on the margins and floors of small tarns. On Stewart Island at the summit area of Mt. Rocky (530 m) it occurs creeping among Leucobryum on ground under stunted Leptospermum scoparium, Olearia and Gahnia in mosaic communities of dense heath-forming shrubs to 3 m tall, penalpine herbs and dwarf heaths to 0.5 m tall, dominated by stunted Leptospermum scoparium and Dracophyllum and a ground tier including Empodisma minus. Also at 5 m on Stewart Island (track to Mason Bay, ca. 1–1.8 km W of Freshwater Landing) on an old dead Leptospermum scoparium base 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. The type (near Wilmot Pass, Fiordland) occurred over wet, somewhat peaty soil among rocks, on a Nothofagus menziesii forest–dominated slope, associated with Lembidium nutans, Megalembidium insulanum, Haplomitrium gibbsiae, Treubia lacunosa, Heteroscyphus sp. and several Lepidozia and Riccardia spp. At the summit area of Arthur’s Pass (920 m) it was found on the floor among shrubs in a mosaic of penalpine scrub and alpine vegetation. On the ridge above Te Kuha (E of Westport, 700 m) it occurs under Lepidothamnus intermedius scrub 3 m tall, with Chiloscyphus spiniferus, Leptoscyphus australis, Plagiochila ramosissima and Riccardia perspicua. Also at higher elevations, in Nelson Lakes Natl. Park (vicinity of Mt. Robert Skifield, 1400–1480 m) in an area of tarns in low alpine vegetation. At this site the species occurs under prostrate mats of dead tussock blades (a niche that at midday appeared to be warmer than surrounding niches in the vicinity) as well as with Sphagnum at the edge of a tarn. Also under prostrate layers of tussock blades at the summit area of Te Rangaakapua (Huiarau Ra., Urewera Natl. Park, 1265–1320 m) in a mosaic of stunted Olearia colensoi and tussock with occasional Coprosma spp. Also occurring in a Leptospermum scoparium – Dracophyllum subulatum scrub ecotone at Tree Trunk Gorge (E border of Tongariro Natl. Park, 750 m). The species ranges to the far north of North Island at Radar Bush (WSW of Cape Reinga); at this site the species occurs on soil at the base of Cyathea at the bottom of a steep-sided valley within a forest of Beilschmiedia – Vitex – Hoheria and Cyathea dealbata.
Comments : Closely allied to Pseudocephalozia paludicola in the leaves divided to about 0.5, the rather long, uniseriate antheridial stalks and the vigorous shoots with some 5-lobed leaves. It differs from this species in the more attenuate leaf lobes and generally larger cell size, in the consistently vestigial underleaves and the lack of bracteolar antheridia. The bright green color is distinctive in the field.
