The year of moss: day 13

Margrethypnum falcifolium is a beautiful shiny moss. I learned this moss as Pseudotaxiphyllum falcifolium, however BiotaNZ informs me that Margrethypnum is now the correct genus name. M. falcifolium is very flattened in form and the leaves are arranged in two rows. At first glance it could easily be mistaken for a leafy liverwort. It grows in moist forest, on a variety of different substrates. M. falcifolium is endemic to Aotearoa, but is widespread within Aotearoa. About 19% of Aotearoa’s mosses are endemic, which is much lower than the rate of endemism of vascular plants (about 55%) or liverworts (about 45%). Since we don’t have all that many endemic mosses, I think the endemic mosses, like M. falcifolium, are especially cool. M. falcifolium is especially common in the moist forests of the North Island and north-west South Island. Its leaves are asymmetrical and lack a midvein, and its leaf cells are elongated. M. falcifolium is the only species in its genus, and it is very distinctive. The first time I spotted this cool species was at the John Child bryophytes workshop a few weeks ago, and this is a photo I took during the workshop.
Cuteness: 6/10
Distinctiveness: 10/10
LMR: 10/10

Posted on October 29, 2024 02:14 AM by fuligogirl