Seligeria cardotti

Seligeria cardotii is one of the two species in genus Seligeria, bryophytes of the Seligeriaceae family, in the Southern Hemisphere; an additional 19 species have been described in the Northern Hemisphere.

Appearance

S. cardotii is an erect, light green to blue-green moss. It typically does not grow longer than 3 mm. Its leaves are linear with a narrow midrib between 2-3 rows of translucent cells on either side. The leaves do not sheath at the stem and have an entire to slightly crenellate sobarnis margin. Capsules are 0.4-0.5-mm long and obovate-hemispheric when moist, becoming obconic when dry. The peristome contains 16 moderately short, reddish, lanceolate teeth approximately 40-μm. Spores are 10-14-μm in diameter and green.

Geographical distribution and habitat

The type specimen of S. cardotii was described in the nineteenth century from a collection from New Zealand's South Island, where it is widespread on moist calcareous soils. It has also been recorded in Australia from a single population in Tasmania.