''Lophocolea mediinfrons'' is a species of
liverwort in the family
Lophocoleaceae. 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.
Taxonomy
The species was first identified by J.J. Engel and
John E. Braggins in 2010 as ''Chiloscyphus mediinfrons''.
In 2013, the genus ''
Lophocolea
''Lophocolea'' is a genus of liverworts belonging to the family Lophocoleaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Species
The species of the genus ''Lophocolea'' include:
* ''Lophocolea aberrans'' Lindenb. & Gottsche
* ''Lophocolea aeq ...
'' 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 fro 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 ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar ...
in New Zealand. The plants formed a forest floor mat underneath a
southern rātā and
kāmahi-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