Fissidens anisophyllus
Common names
moss
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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: RR
Category
Non-vascular
Structural class
Mosses
Detailed description
Plants 2-6 mm long, loosely gregarious. Stems occasionally branched. Leaves in 4-10 pairs, not overlapping in mid-stem, patent, plane when moist, lightly crisped when dry, oblong-lanceolate, 0.8-1.4 x 0.20-0.25 mm; the apex acute; laminae unistratose; vaginant lamina up to 2/3 of the leaf length, half-open to closed; dorsal lamina tapered, failing before the leaf base; margins entire, serrulate at the apex; marginal cells distinct in 1-2 rows, prosenchymatous, forming a unistratose border which is variably developed but usually present throughout the vaginant lamina and part of the dorsal and apical laminae; cells of the apical and dorsal laminae quadrate to hexagonal, smooth, not bulging, (4.5-)6.0-10.5(-15.0) x (4.5-)6.5-10.5(-12.0) µm. Costa percurrent or failing a few cells below the apex. Dioicous. Perigonia terminal on the main stem or axillary shots; male and female plants similar size. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves longer than the vegetative leaves. Seta 1.5-2.0 mm; capsules erect and symmetric, 0.3-5.0 mm; operculum oblique-rostrate. Calyptra smooth, cucullate. Spores 10-14 µm.
Similar taxa
Very close to Fissidens leptocladus from which it differs by its smaller size, less well-developed borders and its less bulging and thinner-walled (and so clearer) leaf lamina cells (Beever et al 2002).
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Wairarapa and Palmerston North)
Habitat
Terricolous. Lowland. On roadside clay banks and also within an urban park
Substrate details
Terricolous.
Threats
Fissidens anisophyllus is very poorly known and it may possibly be better placed within the highly variable F. leptocladus (see comments by Beever et al. 2002). Currently it is known from very few collections. Further specimens would help resolve both its taxonomic and conservation status.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Fruiting
Fruiting material may be found throughout the year
Other information
Etymology
fissidens: From the Latin fissio ‘fission’ and dens ‘tooth, prong’ meaning split tooth and referring to shape of the lamina.
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.
FISANI
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 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: RR
2010 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: RR
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Beever, J. Malcolm, B.; Malcolm, N. 2002: The moss genus Fissidens in New Zealand – an illustrated key. Nelson, Micro-Optics Press.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange 12 October 2011. Description from Beever et al (2002).