#polytrichaceae

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Botanical Capsules: Dendroligotrichum dendroides, a unique moss from southern Chile

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#2455 - Dendroligotrichum tongariroense

AKA Dendroligotrichum dendroides, although that species is South American. The only other species in the genus is also found over there.

A ridonkulously large moss, often up to 20cm tall, and sometimes twice that, but not in fact Aotearoa's largest. Found at higher elevations in podocarp forest on both islands.

Taranaki Goblin Forest, New Zealand

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Here are introductions to four out of the five types found in Japan! Each has distinctive features, and even among the same family, differences can be observed upon closer inspection! 'Lamina' refers to the structure where cells are arranged vertically. Moss with horizontal wrinkles and transparent leaves is a characteristic feature. Please take a look!

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Drenched in rain, the sparkling appearance is irresistible. The leaves exhibit horizontal wrinkles, and under the microscope, these wrinkles appear like tiny thorns!

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Tento druh (rod), stejně jako ostatní mechy a játrovky na našich videích, nebyl ověřen pod mikroskopem a determinován byl pouze podle makroskopických znaků a biotopu nálezu. This species (genus), like the other mosses and liverworts in our videos, was not verified under a microscope and was determined only by macroscopic features and the habitat of the find.

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#2403 - Atrichum androgynum - Long Smoothcap 

AKA Catharinea androgyna, muelleri, and ligulata, Atrichum muelleri, ligulatum, and angustatum, and Polytrichum ligulatum. 'Atrichum' refers to the calyptra lacking the thick covering of hairs typical of genera of Polytrichaceae.

Found in New Zealand, SE Australia, and Southern Australia. The other 15-20 species 15–20 species are mostly found in temperate regions of both hemispheres.

Atrichum is a pioneer plant of open soil but unlike most other Polytrichaceae requires shady, moist habitats.

Lake Mangamahoe, Taranaki Ringplain, New Zealand

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#2369 - Polytrichum commune - Common Haircap Moss

AKA great golden maidenhair, and great goldilocks.

Common Haircap is common throughout temperate and boreal latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, Mexico, Australia, and several Pacific Islands including New Zealand.

A species of large moss growing in damp acidic areas, including in open areas disturbed by human activitoes and livestock. The stems can be 70 cm, which it manages by have tissues specialised to transport water. That's the standard for the 'higher', vascular plants - practically the defining feature, in fact - but is extremely unusual for mosses.

The genus also have parallel lamellae on the upper surfaces of the leaves, with rows of photosynthetic tissue capped with large cells that trap moist air between them but still alow gas exchange. Most mosses have a simple plate of photosynthetic tissue. If conditions become too dry the leaves will twist around the stem.

Pohokura, North Island, New Zealand

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#2313 - Atrichopsis australe

Another moss from halfway up the cone of Mount Ruapehu.

Some sources have it as australis, and previous names include Polytrichum australe, Psilopilum australe and Notoligotrichum australe.

Related to the previous moss, but beyond that I don't have much info. Mosses in the Polytrichaceae have lamellae which sit perpendicular to the leaf surface, giving the leaves a thicker fleshy appearance compared to most moss. Here's a female plant, from the other side of the ridge west of where I was, found and identified by reingered on iNaturalist. They got most of the bryophyte IDs for me on this trip.

Mount Ruapehu, North Island Volcanic Plateau, New Zealand