This evening I eventually got round to looking at a specimen of another unfamiliar species I collected on the weekend, from the same clump of tree ferns where the Ptychomnion grows in the Wallace Garden at NBGW. Apparently these ferns were imported from New Zealand about 5 years ago. I'll post a few microscope images later, but here's my rather paltry specimen to give the general impression (for scale leaves ~8mm). Cell structure matches the illustrations HERE perfectly...fingers crossed I've not overlooked something native!
Well done Barry - that looks highly plausible. I don't know whether there are any other austral Dicranoloma that might be confused with D menziesii.
ReplyDeletePS have a look on the BBS website, Field Bryology section for Volume 98 June 2009
ReplyDeleteAustralasian bryophytes introduced to South Kerry with tree ferns David Holyoak & Neil Lockhart.
Makes me wonder about that Rhynchostegiella now - Rhynchostegium nanopennatum looks virtually identical from what I can see and is an epiphyte. I don't suppose there's a referee for aliens!
ReplyDeleteOne of the Aussie sites says that Rhynchostegium nanopennatum is only found in Queensland, so it's less likely than the Dicranoloma assuming the Tree-ferns originate from Tasmania. It does seem odd that there's so much "Rhynchostegiella" on the ferns though.
ReplyDeleteRichard Fisk is BBS general referee and has done a bit with garden centre epiphytes. I'm sure one of the other BBS members visits Oz regularly, perhaps John Blackburn.
Thanks Sam - the ferns originate from NZ but I've not checked on the status of R. nanopennatum there. Good article on Australasian bryos in Kerry btw.
ReplyDelete