Comments on: Splendid moss

By: Leon Perrie

Leon Perrie — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:03:25 +0000

The Sunrise Track in the Ruahine Ranges is a relatively easy way to get into Hylocomium habitat: http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/east-coast-hawkes-bay/hawkes-bay-area/sunrise-track/

By: Bryo

Bryo — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 02:56:44 +0000

Yes, it is true about paraphyllia and this species record is very interesting indeed. I would be happy to see it in nature someday in Newzealand.

By: Leon Perrie

Leon Perrie — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:57:32 +0000

Hi Bryo,
Hylocomium has paraphyllia (reduced leaf-like structures) on its stems; Pleurozium doesn’t. I’m told by someone who has examined the New Zealand specimens closely that they have paraphyllia, indicating that they are indeed Hylocomium.
I presume the colour of the stem is more likely to be misleading than the presence/absence of the paraphyllia.
It is interesting, though, that the NZ plants look superficially more like Wikipedia’s Pleurozium than Hylocomium.

By: Bryo

Bryo — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:46:54 +0000

Pleurozium schreberi has characteristic red stem appear as distinguish field character (exactly as in picture above), but Hylocomium splendens are making stairs or layers – each year one – also visible on a field, the plant plate is wider and fleecy. I am not sure, but probably in Australia is other kind of variaty or subspecies instead of species in northern hemisphere.

By: Leon

Leon — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:42:56 +0000

Pleurozium and Hylocomium are both in the same family of mosses, Hylocomiaceae. I’m not an expert on mosses, but I believe that Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens are similar-looking; I’m not sure how they are distinguished morphologically. Pleurozium has not been recorded from New Zealand.

By: Bryo

Bryo — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 04:25:42 +0000

The moss looks alike Pleurozium schreberi due to the red-brown stem color and morphological set of leaves and subbranches. Am I right?

By: Save Our Kauri « CLEAN & GREEN?

Save Our Kauri « CLEAN & GREEN? — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:59:02 +0000

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