23. Cheilolejeunea paramicola (Herzog) Ye et al. (2015: 326) .—

Brachiolejeunea paramicola Herzog (1934: 95) .

Type:— COLOMBIA. Cundinamarca: Páramo El Boquerón bei Bogotá, 3500 m, C. Troll 2165 (holotype JE).— Fig. 14J–Q.

Plants dark brown to light brown, 0.9–1.7 mm wide. Stems in cross section 130–160 µm in diameter, 20–24 epidermal cells in cross section, 15–38 × 9–23 µm; 21–31 medullary cells, 13–19 × 9–25 µm. Ventral merophytes 6–8 cells wide. Leaves subimbricate to imbricate, ovate, flat to slightly recurved at the apex, 870–1350 × 570–880 µm, margin entire, apex rounded, dorsal and ventral margin curves; cells hexagonal to long-hexagonal, mammillose on the dorsal side, conspicuous trigones; basal cells 14–30 × 8–13 µm, median cells 11–17 × 6–11 µm, marginal cells 8–12 × 4–8 µm. Lobules rectangular, ca. 1/2 of leaf length, margin free flat, apical tooth obtuse, keel arched. Underleaves subimbricate to imbricate, orbicular to reniform, 560–800 × 680–980 µm, 4–6 × stem width, margin entire, insertion U-shaped. Autoicous. Androecia on short branches, 4–6 pairs of bracts. Gynoecia on the main stem, with lejeuneoid innovations, bracts ovate, 1200 × 680 µm, apex acute, bracts lobule 620 × 300 µm, bracteole ovate 900 × 800 µm. Perianth pluriplicate, with 5–6 strong keels and 4–5 additional weaker keels, beak short. Vegetative reproduction unknown.

Distribution and habitat:—Restricted to the mountains of the northern Andes, occurring in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador (Gradstein 2021). In the study area is growing on tree trunks and branches of shrubs, between 2600–4000 m (Gradstein 2021), in upper montane rainforest and grass páramos of provinces Magdalena and Cauca of Pacific dominion, and the Páramo province of SATZ (Fig. 15).

Notes: —The species can be recognized by its dark brown color, rectangular lobules, underleaves undivided, orbicular to reniform, 4–6 × stem width, and especially by the pluriplicate perianth, with 5–6 strong and 4–5 weak keels.

Specimens examined:— COLOMBIA. Boyacá: Chinavita, Páramo de Mamapacha, 3350 m, 22 March 2002, Zipa 239A, 255A, 240A, 230A (UPTC); Ciénega, vereda Albañil, 3130 m, 24 May 2006, Cabrejo 37 (UPTC); Siachoque, vereda San José, 05°27’36”N, 73°10’3.8” W, 3343 m, 12 November 2012, Gil-Novoa 2367 (UPTC); Tibaná, vereda Chiguatá, 5°17’19,03”N, 73°20’41.16”W, 2800 m, 3 August 2012, Moreno 610 (UPTC); Tunja, RFP El Malmo, 3260 m, 4 October 2003, Álvaro 581 (UPTC). Casanare: La Salina, vereda Rodrigoque, 2600 m, 18 August 1982, Aguirre 3169 (COL). Cundinamarca: Bogotá: Ciudad Bolívar, 4°25’19.3”N, 74°10’26.4”W, 3377 m, 5 November 2014, Guitiérrez 1996A-3 (JBB); Chipaque, Alto de Boquerón, 4°27’51”N, 74°04’28.5”W, 3231–3300, 4 November 2016, Zuluaga 78 (UDBC); Guachetá, along road Guasca–Guachetá, 3400 m, Gradstein s.n. (COL, QCA); Guasca, 3150 m, 7 August, 1980, Gradstein 3674 (COL); Subachoque, cuchilla “ El Tablazo ”, 3500 m, 20 October 1988, Schuster 88- 996 (COL). Risaralda: Camino real entre Termales de St. Rosa y Hda. La Sierra, 4°49’N, 75°30’W, 3510 m, 24 April 1986, Wolf 806, 954 (COL). ECUADOR. Azuay: Páramo de Patococha, 3300–3500, 3 March 2017, Gradstein 12671c (QCA). VENEZUELA. Táchira: Páramo de Tamá, 3140 m, 1 March 1976, Schuster 76-1920 (F) . Furthermore, recorded in Colombia from Quindío and Santander, and in Ecuador from Carchi, Pichincha and Zamora Chinchipe (Gradstein 2021).