FloraOfNewZealand-Mosses-16-Fife-2015-Meesiaceae
The Meesiaceae are a small family of mosses traditionally considered to include three predominantly northern hemisphere genera. The genus Meesia was initially recorded from New Zealand in 1867 in Hooker’s Handbook of the New Zealand Flora. In subsequent decades, the name most often applied to N.Z. material has been M. muelleri Müll.Hal. & Hampe, based on an Australian (Victorian) type. Inexplicably, several other names in Meesia have been published, using both Australian and N.Z. type specimens. All N.Z. material of Meesia is here referred to M. uliginosa Hedw. This species is widespread, with a predominantly northern hemisphere distribution, and has several Australasian heterotypic synonyms, including M. muelleri. Meesia uliginosa is widely distributed on the South I., where it occurs on wet humic soil in mineral-rich sites, mostly at mid to high elevations. It sometimes dominates areas several square metres in extent, and can be very conspicuous due to its extremely long setae and elongate suberect capsules. On Chatham I. it is known only from one collection, and it remains unrecorded from the North I. Meesia uliginosa appears to be an indigenous plant in N.Z. The concept of the Meesiaceae has recently been broadened, mostly using molecular evidence, to accommodate the cosmopolitan and often weedy moss Leptobryum pyriforme. This species is widespread on the two main islands and also occurs on Chatham I. It mainly grows on damp soil or humus, in swamps, marshes, or disturbed habitats such as drainage ditches and roadside banks at lower elevations. It is also abundant on potting mix in glasshouses and similar situations, and is often considered to be a nuisance by horticulturalists. It is likely that some or even all populations of L. pyriforme are adventive in N.Z.
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| Metadata last updated | 19 December 2014 |
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