Arctoa spenceri
Common names
moss
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Non-vascular
Structural class
Mosses
Detailed description
Polyoicous, corticolous, tufted, yellow moss colonising the bark of small trees and shrubs. Stems up to 10 mm tall, simple or branched. Leaves and areolation similar but alar cells usually less numerous and coloured. Perichaetial bracts obtuse and bluntly cuspidate. Seta to 10 mm long, slender, yellow. Capsule to 1.3 mm long, narrowly oval or oblong, pale, scaly with a red rim and with stomata near the base. peristome inserted on the rim, the teeth bifid for the greater part of their length, densely and obliquely striolate, finely papillose above. Operculum with an inclined subulate beak nearly equaling the capsule. Calyptra hooded. Male inflorescences on female plants or on separate plants.
Distribution
Endemic. North and South Islands.
Habitat
Corticolous on the bark of small trees and shrubs in montane forest and subalpine areas
Current conservation status
This is the first complete assessment of all known species of mosses found in the wild in Aotearoa New Zealand with a total of 560 species being assessed. The conservation status of mosses, published in the NZTCS database, replaces all previous assessments of mosses. Data supporting the 2025 NZTCS assessment of mosses has been published on the NZTCS database at https://nztcs.org.nz/reports/1155.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2025 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, De
Threats
In 2011 Dicranoweisia spenceri was rediscovered at its type locality near Arthur’s Pass in the South Island. Indications are that although rather localised it is not under any threat at that site. Nothing is known about its status in the North Island. Because this information came after the last Bryophytre Threat Listing was accepted for publication (Glenny et al. 2011) this moss remains for now “Data Deficient”. That listing is probably still appropriate as nothing is known about this moss at any of the others sites in which it has been historically gathered.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Dicranoweisia spenceri Dixon et Sainsbury
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Fruiting
Spring to Summer (exact fruiting period unknown)
Other information
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
DICSPE
Previous conservation statuses
This is the first complete assessment of all known species of mosses found in the wild in Aotearoa New Zealand with a total of 560 species being assessed. The conservation status of mosses, published in the NZTCS database, replaces all previous assessments of mosses. Data supporting the 2025 NZTCS assessment of mosses has been published on the NZTCS database at https://nztcs.org.nz/reports/1155.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2014 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: De, DP
2010 | Data Deficient
2005 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
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.
Sainsbury, G.O.K. 1955: A handbook of the New Zealand mosses. Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin 5.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange 2 August 2007. Description adapted from Sainsbury (1955).