Tortella lilliputana (Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth) R. H. Zander

Jimenez, Soledad, Suárez, Guillermo M. & Zander, Richard H., 2019, Novelties on Tortella (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta) from South America, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (8), pp. 87-96 : 90

Tortella lilliputana (Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth) R. H. Zander

( Figs 4 ; 5 )

In Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 32: 104 (1993). — Phascum lilliputanum Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth., Aussereuropäischen Laubmoose 212. pl. 20: 3 (1911). — Tetrapterum lilliputanum (Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth) Broth., Natürlichen Pflanzenfammilien (ed. 2) 10: 253. (1924). — Type: Brazil, S. Catharina, Tubarão, ad terram, VIII.1890, (iso-, [E. Ule 133], NY!, S!)

SPECIMEN EXAMINED. — Paraguay. 3 km al Norte de Paraguarí, Cerro Hú, 25°36’20’’S, 57°08’08’’W, 135 m, sobre suelo, 03.VIII.2012, G. Suárez 1488 (CTES, LIL, MO).

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. — It is a New World species described from Brazil ( Roth [1910 -] 1911), and later reported from Panama ( Crum & Arzeni 1953). Here is recorded as new to Paraguay ( Fig. 3 ).

DESCRIPTION

Plants

Forming low turfs, greenish brown below.

Stems

0.4-0.5 cm long, erect, branching occasionally, in cross section rounded-pentagonal, central strand well-developed, sclerodermis present but usually weak, hyalodermis present, composed of cells that are little collapsed when mature, weakly radiculose, reddish brown rhizoids; axillary hairs 110-150 µm long, 7-8 cells in length, all hyaline.

Leaves

Often crowded, erect incurved, somewhat contorted when dry, spreading when moist, ligulate to long-lanceolate, 1.5-3.1 × 0.1-0.3 mm, lamina channeled across leaf, margins incurved, entire at base, weakly crenulate to dentate with projecting papillae below midleaf, apex subulate; base oblong, not differentiated in shape; costa 68-74 µm in width near base, short excurrent as a mucro, in cross section rounded, ventral and dorsal stereid bands well-developed, 4-6 guide cells in 1 layer, hydroid strand absent, ventral epidermis present from base to apex, dorsal epidermis weakly-developed to absent; upper laminal cells quadrate to hexagonal, 6.6-8.3 × 4.9-8.3 µm, walls thin, superficially convex on both sides, papillose, papillae 3-4 per lumen, basal cells differentiated across leaf in a weak V-shape, extending 1/3 above the base, well differentiated from the upper cells, long-rectangular, 28-59 × 8-16µm, walls thin, smooth, gradual transition in a V-shaped.

Autoicous

Perichaetia

Terminal, gemmiform. Perichaetial leaves lanceolate, 1.5-1.9 × 0.1-0.3 mm, the inner smaller than the outer.

Perigonia

Terminal, gemiform. Perigonial leaves lanceolate, 0.4-1.1 × 0.1-0.3 mm, the inner smaller than the outer. Seta 0.4-0.5 cm, twisted clockwise below.

Theca

Exserted, ellipsoidal, reddish brown; exothecial cells mostly rectangular to long-rectangular, 41-68 × 24-31 µm, stomata at base of theca, phaneropore, annulus absent or weak and non-functional, dehiscence by the fall of the long rostrate operculum, peristome absent.

Calyptra

Cucullate

Spores

Bilateral, concave-convex in shape, 19-24 µm, yellowish-brown, papillose, papillae low and blunt homogenously distributed on both views.

Laminal

KOH reaction yellow.

Figures

FIG. 4.— Tortella lilliputana (Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth) R. H. Zander gametophyte micrographs:A, Vegetative leaf; B, C, Laminal cells at the middle of the leaf; D, Stem cross section; E, Leaf cross section at the middle part (A,B, D, E made with LM and C with SEM). Scale bars:A, 0.5 mm; B-E, 50 µm (all from Suárez 1488,CTES).

FIG. 5.— Tortella lilliputana (Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth) R. H. Zander sporophyte and spores micrographs: A, Sporophyte showing complete capsule; B, Deoperculate capsule; C, D, Spores in distal view; E, Spore in optical view; F, Spore in proximal view (A, B, D, G made with SEM and C, E with LM). Scale bars: A, B, 0.5 mm; C-F, 10 µm (all from Suárez 1488, CTES).

FIG. 3.— Distribution map of Tortella fruchartii (Müll. Hal.) R. H. Zander and T. lilliputana (Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth) R. H. Zander. Black circles, previously known records of T. fruchartii in Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay; empty circle, rediscovery of T. fruchartii in Uruguay; black squares, previously known records of T. lilliputana in Brazil and Panama; empty square, new record of T. lilliputana in Paraguay.