''Lophocolea mediinfrons'' is a species of
liverwort
Liverworts are a group of non-vascular land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry ...
in the family
Lophocoleaceae
Lophocoleaceae is a family of liverworts belonging to the order Jungermanniales.
Genera
Genera:
*'' Bragginsella''
*'' Chiloscyphus''
*'' Clasmatocolea''
*'' Conoscyphus''
*'' Cryptolophocolea''
*'' Deceptifrons''
*'' Evansianthus''
*'' ...
. The plant was first described by John J. Engel and
John E. Braggins in 2010 as ''Chiloscyphus mediinfrons'', and has only been found on
Ulva Island in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.
Taxonomy
The species was first identified by J.J. Engel and
John E. Braggins in 2010 as ''Chiloscyphus mediinfrons''.
In 2013, the genus ''
Lophocolea'' was revived as being separate from the wider ''Chiloscyphus'', and the species was recombined as ''Lophocolea mediinfrons''.
Description
''Lophocolea mediinfrons'' has a soft, spongy and waxy appearance, ranging from pale green to pale brown in colour. Distinctive features of the species include variable leaf apices, and a leaf-free stem cell gutter.
Distribution and habitat
''Lophocolea mediinfrons'' has only been identified as occurring at Flagstaff Point at the northeastern end of
Ulva Island, near
Stewart Island
Stewart Island (, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura, formerly New Leinster) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait.
It is a roughly triangular island with a la ...
in New Zealand. The plants formed a forest floor mat underneath a
southern rātā and
kāmahi
''Pterophylla racemosa'', commonly known as the kāmahi, is an evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand. It is a member of the Cunoniaceae family of plants, and it is often referred to by its former botanical name ''Weinmannia racemosa.''
Most me ...
-dominated forest, and were found alongside the liverwort species ''
Zoopsis argentea.
References
Further reading
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q126950409, from2=Q17296057
Jungermanniales
Endemic flora of New Zealand
Plants described in 2010
Taxa named by John Braggins