Lejeunea gracilipes (Taylor) Spruce. (1884: 213)

Renner, Matt A. M., 2013, A new subspecies of Acrolejeunea arcuata, and notes on typification, synonymy, and distribution of other Australasian Lejeuneaceae, Phytotaxa 83 (1), pp. 39-53 : 48-49

Lejeunea gracilipes (Taylor) Spruce. (1884: 213) .

Taxilejeunea gracilipes (Taylor) Stephani (1914: 506) .

Omphalanthus gracilipes Taylor (1846: 385) .

Type:—PACIFIC ISLES. Without more specific locality, Nightingale s.n., ex herb. Hooker, ex herb. Taylor (holotype (?): FH!)

Hygrolejeunea norfolkensis (Stephani) Stephani (1914: 573) , syn. nov.

Lejeunea norfolkensis Stephani (1889: 171) .

Type:— AUSTRALIA. Norfolk Island , Robinson s.n. ex herb. Steph. ( BM!)

Hygrolejeunea norfolkensis was treated as synonym of L. discreta by Grolle (1981). Lejeunea gracilipes and L. discreta differ most conspicuously in the perianths, which are 5-plicate and have a short rostrum in L. discreta , but eplicate with a long rostrum that may flare in L. gracilipes . The two species also differ in the shape and spacing of underleaves, with L. discreta having ovate underleaves that are contiguous to imbricate, and L. gracilipes having more rotund underleaves that are typically remote. The lobules of L. gracilipes are also more variable along a shoot, with transitions between the production of normal and explanate lobules common along shoots, and the two extremes are linked by intermediates. The type specimen of Hygrolejeunea norfolkensis in BM has a single perianth on it, having the long beak characteristic of the Taylor species. The perianth has been compressed due to shipping and storage. Stephani appears to have misinterpreted the flattened eplicate perianth for a compressed 4-carinate perianth, as suggested by his Icones illustration. The variable production of normal and explanate lobules with intermediates, and the remote underleaves are vegetatively characteristic of Taylor’s species, not of Lindenberg’s.

Additional Specimens examined:— NEW ZEALAND. North Island , Papakauri, December 1874, S . Berggren, as L. tumida (G-19655!, G-19625!); North Island , Ohaewai, October 1874, S . Berggren, as L. tumida (G-19651!); North Island, Western Northland Ecological Region , Tutamoe Ecological District , Waipoua Forest , Kawerua Road , 35° 37’ S 173° 29’ E, 450 m, 27 November 1994, J. E . Braggins 94/257 ( AK 257382!); North Island, Maungataniwha Ecological District , northern edge of Herekino forest , Kiwanis Reserve , Okahu Stream , 35° 10’ S 173° 16’ E, 90 m, 7 February 1995, J. E . Braggins 95/081 ( AK 255018!); North Island, Eastern Northland & Islands Ecological Region and District , Mt Manaia , track to summit, 35° 55’ S 174° 30’ E, 120 m, 8 January 1997, J. E . Braggins 97/066 B ( AK 253576!); North Island, Auckland Ecological Region , Rodney Ecological District , Leigh Marine Laboratory Reserve , Goat Island , 36° 16’ S 174° 48’ E, 60 m, 1 November 1986, J. E . Braggins 86/257 ( AK 258981!); North Island, Coromandel Ecological Region , Great Barrier Ecological District , Great Barrier Island , Tataweka , northern end, 36° 04’ S 175° 22’ E, 350 m, 9 April 1980, E. K . Cameron s.n. ( AK 258261!); North Island, Raukumara Ecological Region , Motu Ecological District , east Whanarua Bay , Motu Papaku , inner islet, coastal slope, 37° 41’ S 177° 48’ E, 2 m, 1 October 1999, E. K . Cameron 9842 ( AK 242363!) .

Distribution and ecology:— Lejeunea gracilipes is a trunk and branch epiphyte in subtropical and warm temperate rainforests, rarely terrestrial on dry banks. In New Zealand L. gracilipes is particularly conspicuous in gully forests, where it often forms extensive pure mats on palm trunks. In Australasia L. gracilipes occurs on Raoul Island in Kermadec Group from where it was first reported for the New Zealand Botanical Region ( Campbell 1977), and is widespread in lowland forest habitats throughout the upper third of the North Island, including Northland, north Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and the East Coast. In Australia L. gracilipes is known from Norfolk Island, and its occurrence on mainland Australia in rainforest habitats is anticipated.

Recognition:— Lejeunea gracilipes is distinctive in its pellucid colour, due to granular ornamentation on the leaf lobe cells, and its inflated obpyriform lobules. Vegetatively L. gracilipes is very similar to L. discreta . As noted above, perianths provide the best source of diagnostic characters, in L. gracilipes the perianths are eplicate, and have a long rostrum that may flare at its mouth.