Fissidens hylogenes
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 | At Risk – Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT
Category
Non-vascular
Structural class
Mosses
Detailed description
Plants 2-3 mm long, delicate, loosely gregarious or occurring as scattered individuals. Stems simple, pale, fleshy, with rhizoids at the base only. Leaves in 3-8 pairs, distant, patent to patulous, erect when moist, irregularly crumpled when dry, oblong-spathulate, 0.75-1/5 x 0.2-0.2 mm; apex broadly acute to obtuse; laminae unistratose; vaginant lamina up to 2/3 the leaf length, half open; dorsal lamina reaching to the leaf base and often decurrent down the stem; margins serrate in the distal half of the leaf ± entire in the proximal half; marginal cells distinct 1-2 rows, shorter and narrower, cells of the apical and dorsal laminae quadrate or rectangular to hexagonal, smooth, not bulging, (18-)25-40(-55) x 15-25 µm. Costa absent. Dioicous. Perigonia terminal, male plants smaller than the female, leaves in up to 5 pairs. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves longer than the vegetative leaves in up to 5 pairs. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves longer than the vegetative leaves. Setae 1.5-2.0 mm, colourless, fleshy; capsules 0.4-0.6 mm, erect, symmetric; exothecial cells 32-42 around periphery’ operculum erect-rostrate, equalling the theca. Calyptra smooth. mitrate. Spores 10-13 µm.
Similar taxa
Fissidens hylogenes is only likely to be confused with the more common and widespread F. dealbatus which grows in similar habitats but from which F. hylogenes differs by its smaller size (2-3 mm cf. 5-8 mm in F. dealbatus) and distinctive serrulate rather than entire leaf margins
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Kermadec (Raoul Island), North (Northland, Waikato and Wellington areas) and Chatham Islands.
Habitat
Lignicolous, rarely terricolous or saxicolous. In coastal to montane forest, in dark, densely shaded sites. Often growing on rotting tree-fern trunks, well rotted leaf litter or decorticated wood, infrequently recorded from soil (often on compacted soil at the back of tree caves) or shaded rock.
Threats
Fissidens hylogenes has been listed as ‘Naturally Uncommon’ (see Glenny et al. 2011) because evidence field and herbarium suggests it is a naturally uncommon, sparsely distributed moss. However because this species is so small, it is also very easily overlooked, and it is very likely that Fissidens hylogenes is more widespread than current records suggest.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Fruiting
Fruits may be present 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.
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2010 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
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.
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.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange (13 November 2011) .Description adapted from Beever et al. (2002).