Cheilolejeunea azureomontana C.J. Bastos & Schäf.

Bastos, Cid José Passos & Schäfer-Verwimp, A., 2017, Three new species of Cheilolejeunea (Spruce) Steph. (Lejeuneaceae, Marchantiophyta) from Neotropics, Phytotaxa 299 (1), pp. 66-76 : 72

Cheilolejeunea azureomontana C.J. Bastos & Schäf. -Verw., sp. nov. Fig. 3 , pl. 3

Resembling Cheilolejeunea clausa (Nees & Mont. in Montagne 1840: 337) Schuster (1980a: 863), but different from this by the autoicous condition, leaves spreading, spathulate to slightly obovate leaf lobe, basal cells forming a poorly differentiated vitta, cells toward margin obliquely arranged, lejeuneoid innovation, perianth obovate, keeled, rostrum short, 2‒3 cells long.

Type :― JAMAICA: St. Andrew , Blue Mountains , Hollywell Recreation Area an der B1 unweit Hardwar Gap, Nebelwald am Oatley Mountain Trail, an Strauch im Gipfelbereich ; 1345 m, 18°05.2–3’ N, 76°43.6–7’ W, 5 Dec. 2013, A. Schäfer-Verwimp 35100 (holotype JE; isotype ALCB) .

Plants robust, 1.5‒1.7 mm wide, vegetative branches Lejeunea - type. Stem with 130 μm in diameter, in cross section with 7 cortical cells and 10 medullary cells, thick-walled. Ventral merophytes two cells wide. Leaves spreading, imbricate; leaf lobe spathulate to slightly obovate, 700‒875 μm long × 550‒675 μm wide, dorsal margin straight to slightly arched, entire, ventral margin straight to slightly arched, entire, apex widely rounded, plane to curved; basal cells and median cells oblong, large, 45‒50 μm long × 20‒25 μm wide, trigones large, forming a poorly differentiated vitta, cells toward margin obliquely arranged, oblong to hexagonal, 30 μm long × 15 μm wide, thin-walled, weakly mammillose, trigones large, intermediate thickenings absent; oil bodies 1(‒2) per cell, large, coarsely segmented; ocelli absent; lobule small, ovate, 160‒180 μm long × 100‒110 μm wide, free margin involute, second tooth oblong to slightly acute, straight, hyaline papilla at distal base of second tooth, first tooth not differentiated, apical margin curved to oblique, keel arched, weakly crenulate. Underleaves large, ovate to suborbicular, 450‒570 μm long × 450‒560 μm wide, bifid to 1/3, sinus acute, base rounded, insertion line curved. Autoicous. Androecia in short lateral branches, 2‒3 pairs, bracteole at base of the branch. Gynoecia terminal or lateral, innovation lejeuneoid, bracts small, lobe obovate, 500 μm long × 320 μm wide, margin entire, lobule obovate, 230 μm long × 430 μm wide, bracteole bifid, ovate, 650 μm long × 430 μm wide, perianth obovate, 1.1 mm long × 0.6 mm wide, 5-keeled, rostrum short, 2‒3 cells long.

Etymology: In reference to the type locality (Blue Mountains, Jamaica).

Distribution and ecology: This species is known only from the type locality. The summit region of the mountain was covered with shrubs and low trees with no conspicuous epiphyte vegetation but with several small pioneers of Lejeuneaceae as for example Cheilolejeunea xanthocarpa (Lehm. & Lindenb. in Lehmann 1833: 8) Malombe (2009: 326), Drepanolejeunea biocellata Evans (1903: 22) , Drepanolejeunea bidens ( Prantl 1890: xiv) Evans (1903: 29), Diplasiolejeunea grolleana Reyes (1982: 175) , D. unidentata (Lehm. & Lindenb. in Lehmann 1834: 48) Schiffner (1897: 583), and Cololejeunea microscopica var. africana ( Pócs 1984: 247) Pócs & Bernecker in Dauphin et al. (2008: 234). The floor was partly covered with Leucobryum giganteum Müller (1849: 79) . In the type collection some plants of Lejeunea flava ( Swartz 1788: 144) Nees (1838: 277) and scraps of Lejeunea paucidentata ( Stephani 1896: 76) Grolle (1991: 191) and L. bermudiana (Evans 1906: 132) Schuster (1980a: 1105) have been seen.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Cheilolejeunea azureomontana C.J. Bastos et Schäf.-Verw. A: habit of plant with two perianths and androecia. B, C: two leaf lobes. D: perianth with bracts and bracteole. E: female bracteole. F: female bracts. G: leaf lobule. H, I: details of underleaves. J: two subsequent underleaves. K: central leaf cells with oil bodies and central cell with chloroplasts. L: cross section of stem (All figures from holotype). Scale bar: 1000 μm for A; 350 μm for B, C, D, E, F, J; 100 μm for G, H, I, L; 40 μm for K. Drawing by A. Schäfer-Verwimp.