Plagiochila barteri var. valida (Steph.) Vanden Berghen

Reeb, Catherine, Letsara, Rokiman, Andriamiarisoa, Roger Lala, Brinda, John C., Abalo-Loko, Goudjo-Ameto, Boucheron-Dubuisson, Elodie, Fischer, Eberhard, Hodgetts, Nicholas G., Lavocat-Bernard, Elisabeth, Naniarimino, Fara, Phillipson, Peter B., Sass-Gyarmati, Andrea & Vanderpoorten, Alain, 2019, A pilot workshop on Bryophytes at the National Herbarium (TAN) reveals the presence of seven additional species for Madagascar, Candollea 74 (2), pp. 153-158 : 156

Plagiochila barteri var. valida (Steph.) Vanden Berghen

in Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 51: 73. 1981. ( Plagiochilaceae )

Notes – Plagiochila barteri is reported from Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius and La Réunion, but the var. valida was so far only reported from La Réunion ( WIGGINTON, 2018). It is easily distinguishable from P.barteri Mitt.var. barteri , which has previously been recorded from Madagascar ( MARLINE et al., 2012), by the dorsal margin almost free of teeth (or with a few ones, <6), and the bulging trigones between leaf cells ( VANDEN BERGHEN, 1981).

Specimen examined. – MADAGASCAR. Reg. Vatovavy-Fitovinany [Prov. Fianarantsoa]: Ranomafana parc, Along the N side of main road at the head of the big waterfalls on the Namorona River, dripping granitic cliffs surrounded by montane rainforest , 21°14'42"S 47°23'50"E, 1080 –1150 m, 29.VII.2004, S. & T. Pócs 04126/AT ( TAN, EGR).