Dawsonia superba

Dawsonia superba
In Coromandel Forest Park
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Bryophyta
Class: Polytrichopsida
Order: Polytrichales
Family: Polytrichaceae
Genus: Dawsonia
Species:
D. superba
Binomial name
Dawsonia superba
Grev., 1847
Synonyms[1]
  • Dawsonia celebensis Wijk
  • Dawsonia longifolia var. superba (Grev.) Zanten

Dawsonia superba is a moss in the family Polytrichaceae that is found in Australia, New Guinea, Malaysia,[2] and New Zealand.[3] D. superba is the tallest self-supporting moss in the world, reaching heights of 60 cm (24 in).[4] It has analogous structures to those in vascular plants that support large size, including hydroid and leptoid cells to conduct water and photosynthate,[4] and lamellae that provide gas chambers for more efficient photosynthesis.[5] D. superba is a member of the class Polytrichopsida, although it has a sporophyte that is unique from other hair-cap mosses.[5]

There is some confusion surrounding if Dawsonia superba and Dawsonia longifolia are distinct species or refer to the same moss. According to some sources, Dawsonia longifolia and Dawsonia superba have been merged.[4] For a long time, both D. longifolia and D. superba were used to refer to the same species, with some regional variation in its use.[6] Both terms are still used.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference WFO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Eakin 1998 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference nzplants was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Glime 2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Bell et al. 2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference van Zanten 1997 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).