Ditrichum brachycarpum
Common names
Moss
Biostatus
Native
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 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: OL, TO
Category
Non-vascular
Structural class
Mosses
Detailed description
Saxicolous, densely tufted moss of mostly calcareous substrates. Stems 10 mm or more tall, simple or branched. Leaves 1.5-2.0 mm long, crowded, appressed, rigid, erect or sub-erect, from a widened oblong base narrowed, in the upper leaves rather abruptly but in the lower ones gradually, to a rigid subula. Nerve wide and thick, 100-120 µm wide at the base, deep orange-red, vanishing in the subula. Cells narrow-linear throughout. Setae 2.5-4.0 mm long. Capsule oblique, inclined, ovate-oblong, slightly narrowed to the mouth, annulate. Peristome single, long filiform, granulate, united at the base into a short tube. Operculum 1/5 length of capsule, united at the base into a short tube. Calyptra cucullate. Antheridia gemmiform, axillary.
Distribution
Indigenous. In New Zealand known only from Canterbury (near Lake Coleridge, Castlehill and near Castlehill Village) and from the Rock & Pillar Range. New Zealand is imperfect and it is not clear if the gatherings so named are actually this species, further recent surveys at some of sites where it had been recorded have failed to locate further specimens
Substrate details
Saxicolous on limestone and chlorite schist rocks. Montane to alpine.
Threats
Very vulnerable to competition from weeds, trampling by rock climbers and mining/quarrying for lime and limestone rock. There is some evidence that this species may have declined markedly since rock climbing became more popular in the Castlehill basin (see also Grimmia plagiopoda)
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Ditrichum calcareum (R.Br.bis) Broth.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Fruiting
Although fruit has been seen insufficient information exists to provide any details on the timing of fruiting
Other information
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.
2009 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: OL, TO
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Critical
Referencing and citations
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (6 October 2010).