Cheilolejeunea filiformis var. platycoleus (Herzog) Ye et al. (2015: 325)

Gil-Novoa, Jorge Enrique & Costa, Denise Pinheiro, 2023, Synopsis of the species of Cheilolejeunea (Marchantiophyta, Lejeuneaceae) in the Pacific dominion and Páramo province of tropical America, Phytotaxa 587 (2), pp. 73-120 : 91

11.2. Cheilolejeunea filiformis var. platycoleus (Herzog) Ye et al. (2015: 325) .—

Omphalanthus platycoleus Herzog (1955: 171) .

Type:— COLOMBIA. Cauca: cordillera Occidental, San Antonio, 1922, Pennell & Killip 7301 (holotype JE).

Plants light brown, 0.7–1.2 mm wide. Stems in cross section 120–160 µm in diameter. Ventral merophytes 6–8 cells wide. Leaves subimbricate to imbricate, ovate to elongate, generally flat, 130–180 × 120–135 µm; margin entire, apex rounded; cells orbicular to hexagonal, trigones generally conspicuous; basal cells 20–40 × 12–25 µm, median cells 20–30 × 10–25 µm, marginal cells 10–20 × 8–12 µm, smooth to strongly mammillose on the dorsal side. Lobules trapezoid, 1/4–1/3 of leaf length, free margin flat to slightly involute, without teeth. Underleaves imbricate, orbicular to broadly ovate and wider than long 650–850 × 500–700 µm, 6–7 × stem width, margin fully entire, insertion U-shaped. Dioicous. Androecia not seen. Gynoecia with lejeuneoid innovations, bracts obovate, 400 × 250 µm, apex rounded; lobule 150 × 80 µm, bracteole ovate 330 × 270 µm. Perianth with 4 weak keels, beak short or absent. Vegetative reproduction unknown.

Distribution and habitat: —The species is here considered a variety with distribution restricted to the northern Andes and Costa Rica ( Schäfer-Verwimp et al. 2013, Bastos & Gradstein 2020). This species grows hanging on tree trunks and branches, in lower and upper montane rainforest, between 1500–3000 m (Gradstein 2021), in the Magdalena and Cauca provinces of Pacific dominion ( Fig. 9 ).

Notes: —This variety is morphologically similar to C. filiformis var. filiformis except for the perianth with four weak keels (not terete), but if the plants are not fertile it is difficult to distinguish between the two varieties.

Specimens examined:— COLOMBIA. Risaralda: Santa Rosa de Cabal , 4°51’N, 75°32’W, 2130 m, 21 September 1985, Wolf 50 ( COL) . Santander: Suaita , 1700–1850 m, 19 July 2001, Uribe-M. 3871 ( COL) . ECUADOR. ZamoraChinchipe : Road Loja – Zamora , 3°59’ S, 79°04’ W, 1820 m, 28 January 2011, ASV & MN 32051 / A ( QCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 9. Distribution of Cheilolejeunea filiformis var. filiformis, C. filiformis var. platycoleus, C. filiformis var. wallissi and C. fragrantissima in Pacific dominion and Páramo province