FloraOfNewZealand-Mosses-48-Fife-2020-Leucobryaceae
The Leucobryaceae are considered here to include only the type genus Leucobryum. Species of Leucobryum are erect mosses growing mostly on the forest floor, with erect or secund leaves and single, red, forked, and vertically striolate peristome teeth. Their peristome morphology is similar to that of many members of the Dicranaceae. The most distinctive feature of Leucobryum is a highly unusual leaf structure, that consists of a single layer of chlorophyllose cells (chlorocysts) enclosed on both surfaces by one or more layers of large, dead cells (hyalocysts). The leaves are interpreted as consisting nearly entirely of the costa, and the superficial dead cells are connected by conspicuous intercellular pores. Although Leucobryum is a large genus distributed widely in tropical and temperate regions, only one species, L. javense, occurs in New Zealand. It forms conspicuous, whitish (as the generic name implies) cushions in many types of N.Z. forests, particularly drier southern beech forest. New Zealand L. javense is considered to be conspecific with material that is widespread in Malesia and parts of southern Asia.
Additional Information
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Data last updated | 14 December 2020 |
| Metadata last updated | 4 November 2020 |
| Created | 4 November 2020 |
| Format | |
| License | CC-BY 4.0 (Attribution) |
| Datastore active | False |
| Has views | True |
| Id | 3a0f5e29-78bf-4281-8db5-b54d3142975e |
| Mimetype | application/pdf |
| Package id | d20c72ad-1ec7-45cb-8385-e3e1e573d40c |
| Position | 0 |
| Size | 2.1 MiB |
| State | active |
| Url type | upload |
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