Fissidens crassipes Wilson ex Bruch & Schimp. subsp. warnstorfii (M.Fleisch.) Brugg.

Osman, Imen Ben, Hugonnot, Vincent, Muller, Serge D. & Daoud-Bouattour, Amina, 2022, New bryophytes for Tunisia (North Africa). Part 2: other families, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (11), pp. 173-185 : 178

Fissidens crassipes Wilson ex Bruch & Schimp. subsp. warnstorfii (M.Fleisch.) Brugg. -Nann.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Tunisia. Kroumiria, Jendouba Governorate, Delegation of Fernana: Oued Zen, with sporophytes, 36°48’43.08”N, 08°50’41.33”E, 394 m a.s.l. (site 2019-20), 04.IV.2019, Ben Osman & Hugonnot (TUN[TUN2019-284]); Mogods, Beja Governorate, Delegation of Nefza: Oued Titria, with sporophytes, 36°57’51.33”N, 08°57’45.63”E, 71 m a.s.l. (site 2019-54), 07.IV.2019, Ben Osman & Hugonnot (TUN[TUN2019-285]); Bizerte Governorate, Delegation of Ghezala, Oued Zitoun, with sporophytes, 37°00’16.00”N, 09°23’06.35”E, 389 m a.s.l. (site 2019-89), 10.IV.2019, Ben Osman & Hugonnot (TUN[TUN2019-286]); High Tell, Beja Governorate, Delegation of Thibar: Djebba, with sporophytes, 36°28’15.20”N, 09°05’57.03”E, 620 m a.s.l. (site 2019-104), 13.IV.2019, Ben Osman & Hugonnot (TUN[TUN2019-397]).

REMARKS

The populations of Fissidens crassipes subsp. warnstorfii were found growing on banks and on submerged rocks and roots in siliceous (Oued Zen, Oued Titria) and calcareous (Oued Zitoun) geological settings. The vascular vegetation consisted of riparian woods dominated by Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. and Nerium oleander on sandstone, and by N. oleander and Olea europaea var. sylvestris on limestone. In Tunisia, the subspecies is hydro-hygrophilic. At Oued Zitoun, it was encrusted with lime, which is also often the case in other parts of its range (Bruggeman-Nannenga 1982); it was also found along siliceous watercourses, as is the case in Europe.

Fissidens crassipes subsp. warnstorfii is characterized by leaves that narrow abruptly into an acute, obtuse or apiculate apex, with a border (at least in some portion of the lamina) that does not reach the apex. The apical part of the leaf is shorter than the sheathing part, and the limbidium is often lacking in dorsal and upper parts. It is a polymorphic subspecies ( Potier de la Varde 1930; Bizot 1952) widespread elsewhere in North Africa ( Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco). It is considered a submediterranean subspecies present in South and Central Europe, including Macaronesia ( Hodgetts & Lockhart 2020), in North Africa( Ros et al. 2013), and inSouthwestern Asia ( Kürschner &Frey 2020).