Hyophila baginsensis Müll.Hal.

Taha, Mai A., Shabbara, Hanaa M. & Aseeri, Manal M., 2020, New Pottiaceae genera to the moss flora of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (1), pp. 1-9 : 4

Hyophila baginsensis Müll.Hal.

( Fig. 2)

SPECIMEN EXAMINED. — Saudi Arabia. Asir region, Muhayil Asir governorate, Koran Valley; 18°43’545’’N, 42°05’249’’E; 350 m a.s.l.; grow on clay soil in an oasis around palm tree; soil thickness 8 mm; horizontal; 25.X.2011, 23.I.2012, 22.IV.2012, 25.VI.2012; air moisture 54, 41, 40 and 36 respectively; leg. Manal Aseeri; 133Ma-d (CAIA).

DISTRIBUTION. — In Africa; Central African Republic, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Transvaal, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Zululand ( O’Shea 2006; Magill 1981). The distribution of this taxon may indicate its African origin and emphasizes the strong floristic relationships between southern Arabia and Africa ( Kürschner 2000).

New to Asia continent.

FLORISTIC ELEMENT. — Palaeotropical.

FLORISTIC REMARKS. — The genus Hyophila Brid. was recorded previously from south west Asia; as Hyophila involuta (Hook.) Jaeg. from Oman, Turkey Yemen and Socotra ( Kürschner & Frey 2011), H. lanceolata Renauld & Cardot (according to Kürschner & Frey in 2011 as doubtful and may belong to H. involuta ) from Oman ( Radcliffe-Smith 1980) and H. punctulata (Mitt.) Kindb. from Socotra ( Kürschner 2000; Kürschner & Frey 2011).

DESCRIPTION

Plants

Small, yellowish green, 2.2-2.7 mm high.

Stem

Simple, central strand present, sclerodermis developed.

Leaves

Incurled with involute margins when dry, patent to open spreading with plane margins when moist, oblong lingulate, apiculate, 0.9-1.4 mm long, 0.6-0.7 mm wide; apex sub-acute to obtuse; margins less incurved above, plan below; costa percurrent to short excurrent, one steried band, 2 guides, ventral superficial cells quadrate, mammillose, dorsal superficial cells linear, smooth; upper lamina cells incrassate, adaxial surface cells bulging, nearly flat dorsally, quadrate or sub quadrate, 5-7.5 µm long; basal lamina cells more or less hyaline, sub quadrate to rectangular, (12.5-) 15-20 (-25) µm long, 7.5-15 (-20) µm wide, smooth.

Propagules

Usually present, at axial of apical leaves, reddish, multicellular, branched to un-branched filaments, sometimes with enlarged apical cell.

Comment

The smaller size and generally entire leaf margins of Hyophila baginsensis distinguish it from H. involuta which was recorded previously from the Arabian Peninsula ( Kürschner 2000) and from H. punctulata which was recorded in Socotra ( Kürschner 2000; Kürschner & Frey 2011).

Axillary gemmae of H. baginsensis recorded here are multicellular branched or un-branched filaments, while stellate shaped in Southern Africa ( Magill 1981). This may be attributed to drier habitats of the studied area in comparable with that in shrub savanna and forests of Africa. This explanation coincides with that discussed by Dolnik (2006) who dealt with the influence of the environmental conditions on morphology and number of gemmae in leaf axils.