Fissidens jonesii Bizot ex Pócs

Bruggeman-Nannenga, Maria Alida, 2022, Five new species of Fissidens Hedw. (Fissidentaceae, Bryophyta), taxonomic notes and a new species record for South Africa, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (3), pp. 37-49 : 48

Fissidens jonesii Bizot ex Pócs

( Fig. 6 )

Folia Hist. - Nat . Mus. Matraensis 4: 29 (1976 [1977]). — Revue bryologique et lichénologique 40: 133 ( Bizot 1974), [nom. inval. holotype non cit.].

HOLOTYPE. — Tanzanie. Uluguru Mts , sur tronc de Cyathea , forêt de Bondwa, alt. 2100 m, E. W. Jones et T. Pócs 6309/ N (holo-, Tanzania, Uluguru Mts, on the top of Bondwa.Elfin forest on Cyathaea stem. alt. 2100 m, T. Pócs & E. W. Jones 6309/ N - GR!; iso-, PC! - hb. E. W.Jones, DSM).

ECOLOGY. — On bark of tree ferns, in rather dense mats, sparsely mixed with liverworts.

DISTRIBUTION. — Tanzania, alt. 1200-2030 m.

EXAMINED SPECIMENS. — Tanzania. Uluguru Mountains, Morogoro District, E slope of Bondwa, Pócs, Harris, Faden 6260/A (EGR); North slope of Bondwa, Pócs, Kitale & Kwamba 8616/F (EGR); above Morogoro, WNW slope of main Lupanga ridge, Pócs, Pócs & Van Zanten 86114/B (EGR); West Usambara Mountains, university of Mazumbai, on the sharp ridge W of the ridge W of the village, E.W. Jones & T. Pócs 6372/CA (EGR); Nguru Mountains, above Kwamanga village, Mhonda mission, Pócs & Mabberley 6397/C (EGR).

DESCRIPTION

Stems pinnately foliated, densely branched, with branches up to 8 × 2.2 mm wide (simple stems up to 6 mm long), in cross-section elliptical, with central strand; rhizoids bright brown and smooth; axillary nodules weakly differentiated, hardly protruding; leaves close together, up to 11 leaf pairs, crispate when dry, more or less flattening when moist, lanceolate to narrowly oblong, acute- acuminate, 1.5-1.6× 0.4 mm, about 4 times as long as wide, margin of stem leaves elimbate, serrulate; margins of perichaetial and subperichaetial leaves limbate, limbidia reaching up to ³⁄5 the vaginant laminae, not reaching the insertion, composed of short, wide, marginal, unistratose cells, 19-24 µm wide; vaginant lamina ³⁄5 of the total leaf length, at the base about as wide as the stem, more or less straight towards the insertion, slightly to rather strongly unequal, unistratose; dorsal lamina slightly rounded below, reaching the insertion, not decurrent; dorsal and apical lamina unistratose; costa percurrent, in cross-section bryoides- type; lumina of mid dorsal laminal cells 6.0-7.5 × 4.5-7.5 µm, mammillose with thick, pale walls, lumina of mid vaginant laminal cells 5.0-9.0(-10.5) × 3.5-7.0(-8.0) µm, mammillose. No gemmae seen.

Polyoicous. Perigonia gemmiform, axillary on perichaetial stem and/or terminal on stems and branches, antheridia 180 µm long; perichaetia terminal on main stem and branches, archegonia 220-320 µm long; perichaetial leaves up to 1.7 mm long. Sporophyte: seta 0.65-1.8 mm long, smooth to rough; capsule erect, emergent or exserted, cylindrical to narrowly cylindrical, 0.7-0.8 × 0.25-0.35 mm, with ±32 columns of oblong exothecial cells with thickened vertical walls around capsule; peristome thin, distal ends gently bending inwards when moist, teeth undivided, short, ±130 µm long (hard to measure), tooth base 27-43 µm wide, spores 15-26.5 µm, papillose.

Figures

FIG. 6. — Fissidens jonesii Bizot ex Pócs and F. lagenarius Mitt. A-I, F. jonesii: A, detached perichaetial branch; B, detached branch with perichaetial branch, perigonial buds and long perigonial branch; C, sporophytic stem; D, leaf; E, leaf apex; F, apex of perichaetial leaf; G, mid leaf; H, insertion leaf; I, exterior side peristome tooth. J, F. lagenarius, exterior side of peristome teeth. A-E, G-H from Pócs 86114/B; F from Pócs 8616/F; I from Pócs 6372/CA; J from Brazil, São Paulo, Yano 235. Scale bars: A-C, 1 mm; D, 0.5 mm; E-H, 100 µm; I, J, 20 µm.