Thuidiopsis furfurosa (Hook.f. & Wilson) M.Fleisch.

Taxon Identity

This moss species, Thuidiopsis furfurosa, has a dioecious gametophyte with a range of distinct characteristics.

General Color and Branching

Its plants are typically colored from yellowish-green to dull green, and have bipinnate to indistinctly pinnate structures.

Stem and Branch Dimensions

Creeping stems of the moss grow 12 to 25 cm (4.7 to 9.8 in) long, and most often have pinnate or bipinnate branches 1 to 1.5 cm (0.39 to 0.59 in) long that form feathery fronds.

Specialized Branch Features

A notable feature is its tall, prominent scale-like leaves, while smaller lower branches of the plant are loose and chain-like (catenulate) when dry.

Stem Leaf Morphology

Stem leaves are most commonly triangular with blunt or pointed tips, narrowly triangular, or subulate, growing up to 2 mm (0.08 in) long.

Lower Branch Leaf Dimensions

Leaves on smaller lower branches have narrowly acute apices and measure 0.25 to 0.50 mm (0.01 to 0.02 in) long.

Costa Cell Characteristics

The abaxial epidermal cells of the costa may be smooth or have distal teeth.

Median Leaf Cell Papillae

Median leaf cells are usually unipapillose, occasionally 2- or 3-papillose, and their papillae are most often tall, acute, and curved.

Perichaetial Leaf Trait

Inner perichaetial leaves are ciliate.

Growth Form and Substrates

This moss forms compact to loose mats on a variety of substrates including soil, rocks, and wood.

Sporophyte Presence

During its reproductive phase, a distinct sporophyte is visible.

Calyptra Morphology

Calyptrae are hooded (cucullate), and may either have hairs at the base or be smooth.

Seta Characteristics

Setae range in color from red to orange, and can reach 3 cm (1.2 in) in length.

Capsule Shape

Capsules are inclined to pendent from their attachment point, and can be narrowly ovoid, ellipsoid, oblong, or cylindrical in shape.

Capsule Size and Contents

Capsules measure up to 2.5 to 3 mm (0.10 to 0.12 in) long, and contain spores inside.

Reference Image Collection

The University of Auckland holds an excellent collection of images of Thuidiopsis furfurosa that show its physical characteristics.

Wet Habitat Morphology

Plants that grow in very wet, shaded locations may develop irregular branching, and may have a reduced number and size of small branched scaly areas between leaves, called paraphyllia and pseudoparaphyllia.

Chromosome Counts

Two distinct chromosome counts have been recorded for this species: one population has n=11 chromosomes, and another has n=22 chromosomes.

Distribution Overview

Thuidiopsis furfurosa has a wide distribution.

Australian Distribution

It is found across multiple regions of Australia, including southern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Tasmania.

Oceanic Distribution

It is widespread across most of New Zealand, and is also present on Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island, the Society Islands, Juan Fernandez Islands, Tristan da Cunha, and Gough Island.

Potential Distribution

It possibly occurs in peninsular India.

Common Habitats

This moss most commonly lives in moist shaded environments, such as wet eucalypt (sclerophyll) forests, woodlands, rainforests, swamps, subalpine grasslands, and along creeks and streams.

Open Habitat Adaptability

It occasionally forms large patches in grasslands and open bush, showing it can adapt to a variety of environments and elevations.

Elevation Range

It grows from sea level up into the alpine zone, with recorded occurrences reaching approximately 1,600 meters (5,200 ft) above sea level in Victoria.