Weissia parajaponica Y.Inoue & H.Tsubota, 2017

Inoue, Yuya & Tsubota, Hiromi, 2017, A taxonomic revision of cleistocarpous species of Weissia (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta) in Japan, Phytotaxa 306 (1), pp. 1-20 : 14-15

4. Weissia parajaponica Y.Inoue & H.Tsubota , sp. nov.

Holotype:— JAPAN. Ryukyu Islands : Ishigakijima Isl., ca. 30 m elev., 24°29′25″N, 124°16′41″E, 18 January 2016, Y. Inoue 3864 [HIRO, DNA voucher (rbcL / rps4: LC183780/LC183813)].

Paratypes:— JAPAN. Ogasawara Islands: Mukojima Isl. , ca. 15 m elev., 27°40′53″N, 142°07′47″E, 14 July 2008, S. Uchida 10069 (HIRO, DNA voucher) ; Nakoudojima Isl. , 12 July 2008, T. Katagiri 409 (HIRO) ; Yomejima Isl. , ca. 80 m elev., 27°29′47″N, 142°12′36″E, 11 July 2008, S. Uchida 10008 (HIRO) ; Chichijima Isl. , ca. 120 m elev., 27°05′39″N, 142°11′11″E, 12 June 2009, T. Yamaguchi 30497 (HIRO) ; Hahajima Isl. , ca. 30 m elev., 26°37′06″N, 142°10′47″E, 17 September 2008, S. Uchida 10685 (HIRO, DNA voucher) ; Ryukyu Islands: Yakushima Isl. , ca. 2 m elev., 30°27′02″N, 130°29′06″E, 3 January 2015, coll. S. Uchida in hb. Y. Inoue 3143 (HIRO, DNA voucher) ; Amamioshima Isl. , ca. 5 m elev., 28°22′53″N, 129°29′55″E, 25 February 2016, coll. A. Ohno in hb. Y. Inoue 3951 (HIRO, DNA voucher) ; Okinoerabu Isl. , 200–250 m elev., 30 March 1967, N. Takaki & H. Katsurayama s.n. (NUM-Bt 38114) ; Yoron Isl. , ca. 70 m elev., 28 March 1967, N. Takaki & H. Katsurayama s.n. (NUM-Bt 38053) ; Izena Isl. , ca. 80 m elev., 11 April 2004, H. Sato 464 (HIRO) ; Okinawa Isl. , ca. 70 m elev., 26°13′39″N, 127°42′58″E, 24 February 2016, Y. Inoue 3912 (HIRO, DNA voucher) ; Kitadaitoshima Isl. , 20–50 m elev., 25 March 2000, T. Yamaguchi 18666 (HIRO) ; Minamidaitojima Isl. , ca. 20 m elev., 25°49′38″N, 131°13′00″E, 25 February 2016, Y. Inoue 3925 (HIRO, DNA voucher) ; Irabu Isl. , ca. 80 m elev., 24°48′59″N, 125°12′58″E, 22 January 2016, T. Yamaguchi 36877 (HIRO) ; Miyakojima Isl. , ca. 10 m elev., 24°48′51″N, 125°16′58″E, 21 January 2016, Y. Inoue 3910 (HIRO, DNA voucher) ; ditto, ca. 15 m elev., 24°48′51″N, 125°16′58″E, 25 March 2016, T. Yamaguchi 36925 (HIRO) ; ditto, ca. 20 m elev., 24°48′56″N, 125°17′04″E, 25 March 2016, T. Yamaguchi 36926 (HIRO) ; Hatomajima Isl. , ca. 5 m elev., 17 March 1982, T. Yamaguchi 2146 (HIRO) ; Ishigakijima Isl. , ca. 30 m elev., 18 January 2016, Y. Inoue 3884 (HIRO) ; Iriomotejima Isl. , ca. 30 m elev., 24°26′01″N, 123°46′55″E, 16 January 2016, Y. Inoue 3849 (HIRO, DNA voucher) .

Description:—( Figs. 2 C , & 4 J–W ). Plants when moist ca. 5 mm high including capsules. Stems simple or branched, erect; central strand present; sclerodermis weakly differentiated; hyalodermis undifferentiated. Leaves strongly crisped when dry, spreading when moist, gradually becoming larger towards shoot apex. Autoicous. Perichaetial leaves much larger than vegetative leaves, lanceolate to linear lanceolate, (2.1–)2.4–3.3(–4.2) mm long and (0.3–)0.4–0.55(–0.7) mm wide at base, tapering to an acuminate apex from a broad oblong base; margins incurved in distal 1/3–1/2, plane in basal portion, smooth; costa stout, excurrent in a point reaching (72–)105–160(–225) μm, papillose on adaxial surface and smooth on abaxial surface; guide cells 4 in a single row at midleaf; adaxial and abaxial stereids 2–3 stratose at midleaf; upper laminal cells subquadrate, 6–8 × 6–8 μm, papillose on both surfaces with bifid papillae; basal laminal cells enlarged, rectangular, (45–)60–100 × 10–15 μm, smooth. Perigonial leaves much smaller than vegetative leaves, oval, acuminate, concave. Asexual reproduction unknown. Setae (55–)125–185(–280) μm long; epidermal cells quadrate to subquadrate, thin walled. Capsules cleistocarpous, deeply immersed among perichaetial leaves; urn ovoid to subovoid, (400–)500–660(–760) × (360–)415–515(–620) μm; exothecial cells irregularly quadrate, smooth; stomata phaneroporous, (3–)4–5(–6) at base of capsule; annulus present at the base of the apiculus, consisting of much smaller cells than adjacent exothecial cells of urn and operculum. Operculum differentiated as a slightly oblique finger-like beak, (125–)165–225(–300) μm long. Calyptra cucullate, (390–)520–645(–680) μm long. Spores (15–)19–22(–25) μm in diam., densely papillose.

Taxonomic notes:—This species is very similar to W. japonica , and sometimes difficult to identify based only on morphological characters. However, W. parajaponica tends to have smaller urns and longer excurrent costae of the perichaetial leaves.

Distribution:— Japan (Ogasawara and Ryukyu Islands).

Taxonomic status of Trachycarpidium lonchophyllum

When Roth (1911) described Trachycarpidium lonchophyllum he did not specify the herbarium where the holotype was deposited. A number of duplicates were distributed. Costa (2016) cited the original materials of A. lonchophyllum as isotypes. However, each of these duplicates constitutes a syntype (ICN Art. 9.5).

Based on our molecular phylogenetic analysis, we consider that T. lonchophyllum is better placed in Weissia and we here propose the transfer of Trachycarpidium lonchophyllum to the genus Weissia as follows:

Figures

FIGURE 2. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of cleistocarpous capsules of Weissia in Japan and of Trachycarpidium lonchophyllum. A, W. exserta (Y. Inoue 3828 in HIRO); B, W. japonica (Y. Inoue 3830 in HIRO); C, W. parajaponica (T. Yamaguchi 36925 in HIRO); D, W. kiiensis (Y. Inoue 3813 in HIRO); E, T. lonchophyllum (O. Yano & B.L. Morretes 28820 in SP). 1, Capsule overviews; 2, Close up of upper portion of capsules (Arrowheads indicate dehiscence line).

FIGURE 4. Weissia kiiensis (A–I) and W. prajaponica (J–W).A, Habit (dry); B, Cross section of stem; C, Perichaetial leaf; D, Vegetative leaf; E & F, Cross sections of perichaetial leaf; G, Sporophyte; H, Cross section of seta; I, Calyptra; J, Habit (dry); K, Cross section of stem; L–N, Perichaetial leaves; O–R, Vegetative leaves; S & T, Cross sections of perichaetial leaf; U, Sporophyte; V, Cross section of seta; W, Calyptra. A–I drawn from K. Minakata s.n. (NICH-M 37518, holotype of Astomum kiiense); J, V from T. Yamaguchi 36925 (HIRO, paratype); K, L, O, P, S, T, W from Y. Inoue 3864 (HIRO, holotype); M, Q from Y. Inoue 3925 (HIRO, paratype); N, R from T. Yamaguchi 30497 (HIRO, paratype); U from T. Yamaguchi 18666 (HIRO, paratype).