Cololejeunea grossepapillosa (Lejeuneaceae: Jungermanniopsida), an inconspicuous species new for New Zealand

Abstract Cololejeunea grossepapillosa (Horik.) N. Kitag. is newly recorded for New Zealand. This is the first Australasian record for this widespread species, previously known from southern and eastern Africa, and from China to Papua New Guinea. New Zealand represents the southern and eastern limits for Cololejeunea grossepapillosa, which is one of the few known species of Lejeuneaceae disjunct between tropical Africa and Asia whose distribution extends further to Australasia. Cololejeunea grossepapillosa is readily recognized by its athecal branching, two-celled first lobule tooth, prominent dome-shaped papillae on the leaf-lobe and keel, and production of 16-celled gemmae from the keel and ventral lobule surface. Cololejeunea grossepapillosa brings the number of Cololejeunea species recorded from New Zealand to 13, and highlights the contribution of widespread tropical species to the diversity of New Zealand's Lejeuneaceae flora.