Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus J.J.Engel, Nova Hedwigia 93: 406. 2011

Renner, Matt A. M., Engel, John J., Patzak, Simon D. F. & Heinrichs, Jochen, 2015, A new species of Brevianthus (Brevianthaceae, Marchantiophyta) from New Caledonia with unusual underleaf production, PhytoKeys 50, pp. 43-60 : 50-53

Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus J.J.Engel, Nova Hedwigia 93: 406. 2011

Type.

New Zealand, South Is., Westland Prov., Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve, Lake Kaniere Rd, 125 m, J.J. Engel 24815, M.J. von Konrat & J.E. Braggins. holotype: F; isotype: CHR.

Distribution and ecology.

Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus exhibits a discontinuous distribution within New Zealand's, cool hyper-humid forest environments from Waipoua Forest in western Northland southward at least as far as Blackball on the West Coast of the South Island. Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus is often, though not exclusively, associated with forests including Lepidothamnus intermedius (Kirk) Quinn or Manoao colensoi (Hook.) Molloy, where these occur in podocarp-broadleaf forests, as at the summits of Hirakimata (Mount Hobson) on Aotea (Great Barrier Island, M.A.M. Renner pers. obs.) and Mount Rowe; or in podocarp-beech forest as at Craigieburn. Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus is typically a trunk epiphyte, but may occur as a lithophyte, as at the head of the Croesus Track, near Blackball.

In Northland Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus may be a common and even dominant component of epiphytic communities on the southern side of Metrosideros robusta A.Cunn. and Agathis australis (D.Don) Loudon trunks in open Agathis australis ricker forest on clearing edges, where it occurs with Dendromastigophora flagellifera (Hook.) R.M.Schust., Lepicolea attenuata (Mitt.) Steph., Lopholejeunea colensoi Steph., Radula pseudoscripta M.A.M.Renner, Heteroscyphus menziesii (Mitt.) J.J.Engel, and Hymenophyllum armstrongii (Baker) Kirk. Despite its often luxuriant growth in these situations, no fertile material has yet been observed.

From the Auckland Region southward Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus tends to be an epiphyte on trunks of Lepidothamnus intermedius , Manoao colensoi and sometimes Nothofagus solandri (Hook. f.) Oerst. var. cliffortioides (Dippel) Poole, where these grow in mixed podocarp-beech and podocarp-broadleaf forests, such as the Lepidothamnus intermedius , Dacrydium cuppressinum Sol ex G.Forst., Phyllocladus aff. alpinus Hook.f., Weinmannia silvicola L.f., Quintinia serrata A.Cunn., Pseudopanax discolor (Kirk) Harms forest on boggy ground on the summit ridge of Mt Rowe, here Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus grew in association with Lepicolea scolopendra (Hook.) Dumort. ex Trevis., Lepidozia microphylla (Hook.) Lindenb., Heteroscyphus sp., Acrochila biserialis (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Grolle, Acromastigum cavifolium , Schistochila tuloides (Hook.f. & Taylor) Steph., Radula multiamentula , and Thysananthus anguiformis (Hook.f. & Taylor) Taylor ex Gottsche, Lindenb. & Nees.

At the head of the Croesus track Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus grew on vertical granite of bluffs overhanging the start of the Croesus track, with Heteroscyphus menziesii , Radula multiamentula , Acrobolbus epiphyticus (Colenso) Briscoe, Herbertus Gray, Acromastigum anisostomum (Lehm. & Lindenb.) A.Evans, Frullania sp., Lepidozia (Dumort.) Dumort. spp. and Hymenophyllum armstrongii .

At Craigieburn Road on the West Coast of the South Island, Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus is an occasional corticol on Manoao colensoi trunks in low forest with uneven, broken canopy comprised of Leptospermum scoparium J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. with Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides , Nothofagus menziesii (Hook.f.) Oerst., and emergent Manoao colensoi , on saturated soil of an old alluvial terrace. Here the species was common on Manoao trunks, occasional on Nothofagus solandri var. cliffortioides , but apparently absent from trunks of Nothofagus menziesii , and grew in association with Acrochila biserialis , Acromastigum cavifolium , Heteroscyphus menziesii , Heteroscyphus sp., Schistochila tuloides , Radula multiamentula , Radula tasmanica Steph., Frullania ptychantha Mont., Frullania sp., Macromitrium longipes (Hook.) Schwägr., Dicnemon calycinum (Hook.) Schwägr., and Hymenophyllum armstrongii .

Conservation status.

Brevianthus flavus subsp. crenulatus was listed as Naturally Uncommon, with qualifier ‘Sparse’ by the New Zealand Department of Conservation's, Threat listing Bryophyte specialist panel ( Glenny et al. 2014).

Specimens examined.

New Zealand, North Island: Western Northland Ecological Region, Tutamoe Ecological District, Waipoua Forest, Tarahoka clearing, 35°37'S, 173°33'E, 380 m, 16 Oct 2000, M.A.M. Renner 00/125, AK280186; Tutamoe Ecological District, Waipoua Forest, lookout loop, Toatoa Grove, c. 280m, 35°40'30"S, 173°33'46"E, 21 Feb 1990, J.E. Braggins 90/42, AK325216; Waipoua Forest, track to Te Matua Ngahere, 35°36'S, 173°31'E, ca. 340 m, 1997, J.J. Engel 22543 (F); Thames Ecological District, ridge NW of Mount Rowe on track to summit, 37°02'16"S, 175°40'19"E, 720 m, 14 Feb 2007, M.A.M. Renner 2548, NSW745726; Coromandel Ecological Region, Thames Ecological District, Ridge NW of Mt Rowe, track to Mt Rowe, 37°02'16"S, 175°40'19"E, 720m, 14 Feb 2007, M.A.M. Renner 2535, AK298528; Coromandel Ecological Region, Thames Ecological District, Ridge NW of Mt Rowe, track to Mt Rowe, 720 m, 37°02'16"S, 175°40'19"E, 14 Feb 2007, M.A.M. Renner 2618, AK299749; Coromandel State Forest Park, summit of Table Mt., 37°03'S, 175°40'E, 835 m, 1997, J.J. Engel 22381 (F); South Island: North Westland Ecological Region, Blackball Ecological District, Craigieburn, Craigieburn Road east, 220 m, 42°13'43"S, 171°37'30"E, 06 Dec 2000, J.E. Braggins, AK287110; North Westland Ecological Region, Blackball Ecological District, Craigieburn, Craigieburn Road east, 190 m, 42°14'S, 171°38'E, 28 Mar 2001, M.A.M. Renner 01/200, AK280202; North Westland Ecological Region, Maimai Ecological District, Cragieburn Road, near Doolan Creek headwaters, west of Atarau Road, some 400m south of Pinus plantation in dense low mixed podocarp/ Nothofagus forest, 205 m, 42°14'S, 171°38'E, 30 Apr 2003, Y. Qiu NZ03115 & J.E. Braggins, AK283714; North Westland Ecological Region, Blackball Ecological District, Paparoa Range, Croesus track, Blackball Road end, 42°20'S, 171°24'E, 330m, 26 Mar 2001, M.A.M. Renner s.n., AK280201.