Fissidens punctulatus Sande Lac.

Bruggeman-Nannenga, Maria Alida, 2022, On the peristomes of the corticolous African species of Fissidens Hedw. (Fissidentaceae, Bryophyta), Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (2), pp. 9-36 : 28

Fissidens punctulatus Sande Lac.

( Fig. 16 )

Fissidens punctulatus is characterized by broadly acute to obtuse leaves, costae that end 2-3(-6) cells below the leaf tips, unipapillose laminal cells, serrulate leaf margins, particularly on the vaginant laminae, short limbidia that are confined to the basal 1/3-1/2 of the vaginant laminae of the upper leaves of perichaetial plants, 1.0- 2.5 mm long setae, and irregularly divided or undivided, papillose peristome teeth. Growing scattered between mosses and liverworts on bark.

DISTRIBUTION. — Paleotropics, Australia, widespread in Africa.

Peristome

± straight when dry, ±incurved when wet, undivided, seemingly perforated, teeth long, 150-220 µm long, tooth base 28-45 µm wide.

Ornamentation

OPL trabeculae recognizable, but indistinct ( Fig. 16B ), vertical walls not present, the two basal lamellae ± smooth, more distal ones coarsely papillose, no sharp distinction between basal part and filaments; IPL basal trabeculae well developed, double or not, mostly papillose, basal lamellae ±smooth, distal ones strongly incrassate and papillose ( Fig. 16D 1-3 ), distal OPL and IPL ±equally thick, papillose.

Sporophyte

Seta 1-2 mm long, smooth, capsule narrowly cylindrical, 0.5-0.7 × 0.25-0.35 mm, erect, with exothecial cell columns 32-40, of the cells oblong with thickened vertical walls; operculum 0.4-0.45 mm long; spores 14.5-17.5 µm, smooth to finely papillose.

Description and illustration

Renauld (1909: pl. 35, fig. 6 as F. ligulinus Müll.Hal. ); Iwatsuki & Mohamed (1987: fig.1 as F.brevilingulatus E.B.Bartram ); Iwatsuki & Suzuki (1996: fig.IX); Bruggeman-Nannenga & Arts (2010: fig. 32).

Figures

FIG. 16. — Fissidens punctulatus Sande Lac.A, basal IPL of pair of teeth;A1, line drawing showing the arrangement of cells in Fig.A. The part below the splitting (pale orange) is the continuation of the teeth on the inner surface of the capsule;B, basal OPL;C, capsule with slightly incurved peristome;D, pair of teeth with two spores; D1-3, details showing strongly incrassate IPL lamellae; D4, line drawing showing the single column of OPL cells, the dotted line marks the “perforations” that are probably just thin areas.All from Madagascar,Fôret d’Amboapaka,env.De Vohipeno,sur tronc mort,Heim s.n., PC773871.Scale bars:A,B, D-D4,20 µm; C, 100 µm.

FIG. 1. — Fissidens marthae Cardot. A, OPL mid tooth, showing the bifurcation and filaments; B, OPL basal undivided part and bifurcation; C, IPL showing fimbriate trabeculae of the undivided part and high horizontal to oblique IPL (“spiral”) ornamentation of the filaments; D, basal OPL of two teeth; E1-3, side-views of basal part of filament showing the low OPL and thicker IPL; E1, focus on the vertical walls of the OPL; E3, stack of E1 and 2; F, spores. A, D, E from Uganda, Mupanga Falls, Porley U495A, private herbarium Bruggeman-Nannenga; B from Tanzania, Pócs 8633/M, PC; C, F from Central African Republic, S. Ippy, Kéyorédé, Tisserant s.n., PC. Scale bars: A-E, 20 µm; F, 50 µm.

FIG. 2. —Fissidens ah-pengae Brugg.-Nann. A, OPL with focus on the thin trabeculae;B, OPL focus on the through-shining 3-4 irregular columns IPL cells;C, two IPL trabeculae with a papillose margin; D, IPL; E, moist capsule with ±erect, gently incurved teeth. All from holotype, La Réunion, Commune de Saint-Philippe, Ah-Peng & Bardat s.n., private herbarium Bruggeman-Nannenga. Scale bars: A-D, 20 µm; E, 0.4 mm.

FIG. 3. — Fissidens arboricola Brugg.-Nann. A, B, deeply divided peristome teeth; C, D, completely divided peristome teeth. A, OPL, in the background spiral filaments; B, IPL of two teeth with high, close horizontal to oblique ridges (“spiral”); C, OPL, the trabeculae are recognizable as thin lines, lamellar ornamentation of close oblique ridges; D, IPL basal and mid part with high, close oblique ridges. A, B from Madagascar, Toamasina, Analamazotra Forest Station, Brinda 12240 (type MO, L); C, D from Madagascar, Tulear, Forêt d’Analamaro, ALR-237, private herbarium Bruggeman-Nannenga. Scale bar: 20 µm.