FloraOfNewZealand-Mosses-23-Fife-2015-Mitteniaceae
The Mitteniaceae are a family of a single genus and species: Mittenia plumula. This attractive moss grows on heavily shaded, friable soil through much of New Zealand, and occurs also in south-eastern Australia and P.N.G. It is one of Australasia's bryological curiosities, both because of the "luminescent" quality of its protonema and because of its unique peristome structure. Because of the former it has been compared to the famed Schistostega pennata or "goblin gold" of the northern hemisphere. Although an inconspicuous plant, it is readily recognisable in a N.Z. context by having distichous stoutly costate leaves vertically inserted and with the basipetal margin strongly decurrent. Capsules are both uncommon and inconspicuous in N.Z. but are particularly beautiful, having very long and slender red-brown exostome teeth. There is no general agreement concerning the systematic affinities of Mittenia.
Additional Information
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Data last updated | 3 November 2020 |
| Metadata last updated | 11 November 2015 |
| Created | 11 November 2015 |
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