Calymperes tenerum
Common name
Moss
Synonyms
None
Family
Calymperaceae
Flora category
Non-vascular – Native
Structural class
Mosses
Current conservation status
- Conservation status of New Zealand mosses, 2014 (PDF, 583.87 kB)
The conservation status of 109 New Zealand moss taxa was assessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). Four taxa and one undescribed entity that were not included in previous assessments have been added to the list. The conservation status of only two taxa has changed in this assessment. A full list is presented, along with a statistical summary and brief notes on the changes. This list replaces all previous NZTCS lists for mosses. Authors: Jeremy R. Rolfe, Allan J. Fife, Jessica E. Beever, Patrick J. Brownsey and Rodney A. Hitchmough.
- Conservation status of New Zealand hornworts and liverworts, 2014 (PDF, 695.44 kB)
The conservation status of the New Zealand hornwort and liverwort flora is reassessed using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). A full list is presented, along with a statistical summary and brief notes on the most important changes. This list replaces all previous NZTCS lists for New Zealand hornworts and liverworts which previously had been part of a generic bryophyte conservation status assessment that included mosses. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, David Glenny, John Braggins, Matt Renner, Matt von Konrat, John Engel, Catherine Reeb and Jeremy Rolfe.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: SO
Previous conservation status
2004 | Data Deficient
Distribution
Tropical (India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia (northern Queensland), Pacific Islands (Hawaiian, Fijian, Tonga Group, Cook Islands, Society Islands, Marquesas, New Caledonia). In New Zealand known from three (January 2006, May and November 2008) gatherings from Chatham and Pitt Islands, two (May 2009 and May 2011) gatherings from Raoul Island and two (October 2009, November 2011) gatherings from Te Paki (North Island)
Habitat
Known in New Zealand from eight gatherings (see Fife & de Lange 2009 and de Lange & Fife (2010) who document five of these). Three of these gatherings come from the Chatham Islands where this moss was found on the bark of Coprosma chathamica, the exposed root plate of Pseudopanax chathamicus, and trunk of Rhopalostylis sapida. On Raoul Island Calymperes was collected in 2009 and then again in 2011 from the bark of Metrosideros kermadecensis. Recently (2009, 2010) Calymperes was discovered in the North Island at Te Paki (Te Huka Bay and Surville Cliffs). At Te Huka Bay it grew threaded through a liverwort (Acrolejeunea securifolia) that was growing on the upper trunk of Metrosideros excelsa. On the Surville Cliffs if grew with Syrrhopodon armatus on the exposed roots of Metrosideros excelsa.
Detailed description
Corticolous at the base of trees. Plants forming dense, soft, extensive tufted mats, dull green above brown below (drying golden yellow). Stems simple, erect, c.10-30 mm tall, sparingly radiculose at the base. Leaves 3.00-3.80 x 0.75 mm, crisped and curled when dry, erect-spreading when moist; lamina ovate-lanceolate, sometimes abnormally so, slightly constricted above the short, broad, lightly clasping base to a broad lingulate point up to 2 mm long; margin entire, plane or slightly inflexed; nerve strong, not tapering upward, c.90 microns wide, convex and very prominent on the back, excurrent into a thick, blunt, scabrous point bearing numerous cylindrical, septate brood-bodies, normal leaves with the nerve only percurrent, only rarely with brood-bodies; basal leaf cells toward the margins in 6-7 rows, small pellucid, short rectangular at the extreme base, gradually becoming quadrate or transversely elongate upward and merging with the dense areolation of the lamina, which is composed of rounded-quadrate thin-walled cells c.7 microns wide, in one layer, lightly papillose on both sides; cancellinae large, short rectangular; c.25 microns wide, thin-walled and hyaline, forming a sharply differentiated group ending abruptly below the top of the leaf base and occupying c.2/3 of its width. Fruit not seen.
Fruiting
Fruit not seen.
Threats
Unknown - First recognised for New Zealand from a chance gathering made on Rekohu (Chatham I.) in February 2006. It was later (2008) found on Rangiauria (Pitt Island). In both Chatham Islands sites it is vulnerable to habitat loss. A serious threat there. It has since been found at Te Paki (2009, 2010) in two sites and on Raoul Island (2009, 2011). At all these locations it seems to be very uncommon. Probably this species is naturally uncommon as it is at the world limit of its range in the New Zealand Botanical Region (see Fife & de Lange 2009) however due to deterioration of its habitat on the Chatham Islands, and the over all small population sizes it has recently been listed as “Nationally Endangered” (see Glenny et al. 2011).
Substrate
Corticolous. The New Zealand specimens have been collected from the bark of Chatham Island karamu (Coprosma chathamica) and nikau (both Rhopalostylis baueri and R. sapida)
Attribution
Fact sheet and description prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange August 2009.
References and further reading
de Lange, P.J.; Fife, A.J. 2010: Claymperes tenerum in northern New Zealand. Australasian Bryological Newsletter 58: 8.
Fife, A.; de Lange, P. 2009: Calymperes tenerum Müll.Hal. (Calymperaceae) on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Australasian Bryological Newsletter 57: 14–16.
Glenny, D.; Fife, A.J.; Brownsey, P.J.; Renner, M.A.M.; Braggins, J.E.; Beever, J.E.; Hitchmough, R. 2011: Threatened and uncommon bryophytes of New Zealand (2010 Revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 49: 305-327.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Calymperes tenerum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/calymperes-tenerum/ (Date website was queried)