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Genus Acrobolbus Nees.
Acrobolbus Nees, in G., L. et N., Syn. Hep., 5, 1844.
Gymnanthe Tayl., G., L. et N., Syn. Hep., 192, 1844.
Stems prostrate, with rhizoids simple or slightly branched, bilobed with unequal lobes. Stipules absent or minute. Sporophyte inserted in the base of a terminal marsupium.
Eleven species of this genus are described by Stephani.
Acrobolbus unguiculatus (Tayl.) Mitt.
Jung. aerobolbus Tayl., Lond. Journ. of Bot., 27, 1846.
Gymnanthe unguiculatus, Fl. Nov. Zel., ii, 144, 1855; Handb. N.Z. Fl., ii, 519, 1867.
Acrobolbus unguiculatus, Handb. N.Z. Fl., ii, 753, 186; Berggr., N.Z. Hep., 1898; Step., Spec. Hep., ii, 176; Rod., Tas. Bry., ii, 33, 1916.
Plants prostrate, creeping, matted, pale green or deeply rosetinted, swamp-loving, often with Campylopus kirkii. Stem to about 4 cm., but usually shorter, with numerous rhizoids. Leaves to 5 mm., but often smaller, cellular, reniform or sub-quadrate-rotundate, imbricate, dorsally sub-secund, obscurely 2-lobed, 8–10 coarsely or spinulose-toothed. Cells mainly hexagonal, ca. 40 × 55 μ, basal still larger, trigones small. Stipules minute or apparently missing. Invol. leaves similar to, but larger than, the cauline. Marsupium long (Stephani gives 18 mm.), terminal, cylindric; archegonia immersed in the free end, which finally becomes detached and remains buried in the ground; calyptra partially adnate with the inside wall of the marsupium.
A very distinct plant with its broad, sinuate-lobed and attractively coloured leaves. Miss Cranwell, who made an intensive study of plant growth in New Zealand bogs, states that this hepatic is a peat-former.
Bay of Islands, Berggr., 1877, comm. Fr. Verdoorn; peaty area on roadside in open, Waipoua Forest, K. W. Allison; bog near Cambridge, H. H. Allan; Moanatuatua Swamp, L. M. Cranwell; hillside, pumice formation, “Waiputaputa”, Wairoa, E. A. Hodgson; not uncommon in Atiamuri district, K. W. Allison.
The Handbook records it from the South Island also. The type was from sulphur springs at Waimata, coll. Colenso.
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Additional localities are: fern land, Kaingaroa Plains State Forest; swampy hillside under light shade, Waipoua Forest, both leg. K. W. Allison; terrestrial on “papa” bank or cutting, sea level, Nihotapu Valley, Auckland, E. D. Hatch, comm. K. W. Allison.
Acrobolbus lophocoleoides (Mitt.) Steph.
Gymnanthe lophocoleoides Mitt., Fl. Nov. Zel., ii, 144, 1855; Handb. N.Z. Fl., ii, 519, 1867.
Acrobolbus lophocoleoides St., Spec. Hep., ii, 461.
Plants bright yellow-green, creeping through other bryophytes. Stems to 4 cm., flaccid with tufts of rhizoids, specially at the junction of the ventral leaf margin with the stem. Leaves remote, more or less oblong, the ventral margin curved in a little at the base, dorsal margin somewhat decurrent; bi-lobed, segments longly setaceous, often diverging, sinus obtuse to crescentic. Stipules none. Cells ca. 25–40 μ, basal still larger, rounded, trigones large, convex, confluent, cuticle minutely and densely asperate, more easily discerned when dry. “Folia floralia plurijuga, caulinis similia multoties tamen major, margine saepe crispata. Sacculus conico-cylindricus, dense radicellifer, ore pauce foliolis ovatis acutis vel bifidis circumdato.”
The absence of stipules at once distinguishes this species from a Lophocolea, which it certainly resembles.
In the Flora Novae Zelandiae and the Handbook, this species comes under the heading of Gymnanthe, with the fructification undescribed. Fertile plants collected by Kerr and Kirk (Auckland Islands), enabled Stephani to supply this omission as above, and to allocate the plant to this genus.
There is another plant, probably a Tylimanthus, which might be confused with Acrobolbus lophocoleoides, owing to a similarity in both colour and appearance. But on examination this is seen to have many irregularly shaped leaves, with lobes less setaceous and margins armed with spiny teeth. (Ruamahanga, V. D. Zotov, 9271 P. R. B. Herb., in part.)
My specimens, from the following localities, consist of a few single stems picked out from amongst other bryophytes: Te Moehau Mt., more or less exposed, L. B. Moore; Little Barrier Island summit, epiphytic on Dicranoloma, W. M. Hamilton; Wilton's Bush, Wellington, R. Mason.
The type was from the Tararuas, creeping amongst Adelanthus falcatus, coll. Colenso.
Acrobolbus cinerascens (L. et L.) Steph.
Jung. cincrascens L. et L., in Pug., iv, 46; G., L. et N., Syn. Hep., 178, 1844.
Gymnanthe cinerascens Mitt., Fl. Tas., 229, 1860.
Marsupellopsis cinerascens Eng. and Prantl., Pflanzenf.; Berggr., N.Z. Hep., 1898.
Acrobolbus cinerascens St., Spec. Hep., ii, 176; Rod., Tas. Bry., ii, 1916.
Plants pale green to whitish, in a thick mat or mixed with other bryophytes. Stem 1–1.5 cm., rhizoids may be present, upper portion may be attenuated with minute leaves, simple or little branched, papillate. Leaves varying in size, contiguous to remote, spreading or dorsally secund, bifid, ventral lobe narrow-ovate, ventral margin strongly arched, apex sub-acute; dorsal lobe small, dentiform, everywhere papillose, all margins crenulate, caused by the projecting cells
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and minutely papillate. Stipules minute, bifid, obscure. Cells ca. 35 μ, opaque, trigones medium, convex, acute. Fructification not seen, but according to Berggren, the female plant repeatedly produces flowers at the swollen decurved apex of the procumbent stem, which apparently continues its growth beyond the flower. Outer invol. leaves large, inner ones smaller with margin repando-subdentate, shell-like, compressed. Perigonial leaves in 3–4 pairs, broadly ovate, equally bifid. The Flora Tasmaniae reads as follows: The invol. leaves scarcely differ in form from the cauline, but are concave and enclose 4 or 5 pistils, seated on the dorsal side of the abrupt and slightly thickened apex of the stem itself; with the invol. leaves there has been observed a small stipule-like leaflet …. Stephani has nothing to add to these observations, so apparently a fully developed torus has not yet been discovered.
Berggren seems to have been the first to have found this Australian and Tasmanian plant in New Zealand, on roots of trees, mountains by Bealey River. W. Martin has recently made two gatherings from the same district—forest floor, 4,000 ft., Avalanche Peak, Arthur's Pass, and “beech” trunks near Halpin's Creek, Arthur's Pass. Governor's Bush, Mount Cook, G. O. K. Sainsbury.
Lehmann's plant was from Australia (Nova Hollandia).