Nemataceæ, a Moss Family New to Australia

Abstract

THE Nemataceæ embraces only two known species, namely, Ephemeropsis tjibodensis Goebel em. Fleischer, which is epiphyllous, ranging from Siam through the Indonesian Islands to New Guinea, and E. trentepohlioides (Renner¹) Sainsbury²—until now believed endemic in New Zealand, where it is scattered through both islands, occurring on bark and twigs (of Rubus, Leptospermum, Fuchsia and Coprosma spp.). Both mosses are small and inconspicuous, with very remarkable gametophytes consisting almost entirely of matted, freely branched protonemal filaments which creep over the substrate. Normal foliage is represented by a single series of three or four minute nerveless leaves at the base of each female inflorescence (or seta, which may be several millimetres long). The differences between these species are fully discussed by O. Renner¹ and G. O. K. Sainsbury², and it seemed likely that one or other would eventually be found in eastern Australia.