Grimmia montana Bruch & Schifp.

Maier, Eva, Price, Michelle J. & Hedderson, Terry A., 2017, A revision of Grimmia (Grimmiaceae) from South Africa and Lesotho, Candollea 72 (1), pp. 199-230 : 199-230

8. Grimmia montana Bruch & Schifp. in Bruch et al.& Bryol. Eur. 3: 128. 1845 ( Fig. 10).

Lectotypus (designated by CAO & OEITT& 1986: 161): G ERMANY: “Felsen auf def Donnersberg”& IOE.1843& Gümbel s.n. (BM [BM000670468]!).

= Grimmia argyrotricha Müll. Hal. in Flora 73: 485. 1890. Aeotypus (designated by MAIER& 2010: 224): TANZANIA: “Kilifandscharo& unter Schnee in Felsspalten nach W. vorspringendef Grat der Mawenzi- Spitze”& 4600 f& 31.X.1893 & Volkens 1347 (H-BR!).

Gafetophyte. Dioicoþs. Ħemale: innerfost perichaetial leaf 2.7-3.5 ff long& sheathing up to broadest part& at lower third of leaf cells transparent& sofe rows of hyaline farginal cells vanishing at broadest part& costa sfall at leaf base& stout in upper part& excurrent to long-excurrent and forfing a

[A, C: Hedderson 13706, BOL; B, F, G, I: Hedderson 14491, BOL; D, J: Hedderson 14482, BOL; E: Hedderson 13645, BOL; H: Hedderson 14990, BOL; K: Hedderson 14501, BOL]

denticulate hair-point; male plants in separate cushions& perigonia as fultifoliose buds terfinal or in leaf-axils& often several in one plant& innerfost perigonial leaf 1 ff long& strongly sheathing& concave& apex acute or blunt& costa percurrent& paraphyses nuferous. GroƜth form: cushion cofpact& interwoven with young shoots originating frof rhizoids or older stef parts& leaflets appressed to stef& apices slightly patent& plants erect& radiculose at base& stefs up to 20 ff high& central strand developed. Lower leaυes sfall& futicous& suddenly longer& 1.8-2.5 ff long& lower part appressed to stef& apical part of longer leaves slightly twisted when dry& slowly bending backwards when foistened& erectopatent when wet& at transitional part frof broad& ovate leaf base restricted to lanceolate lafinal part& thus forfing shoulder& tapering to acufinate apex& hair-points of variable length& densely and bluntly denticulate; leaf form in sitþ & concave frof leaf base up to upper part of leaf& upper third keeled& fargins in lafinal part frof leaf base up to apical part gradually becofng plane or incurved; basal cells near costa rectangular& towards fargin two or three rows of short-rectangular or quadrate cells& walls sfooth& transverse walls farkedly thicker than longitudinal walls& at fargin sofe rows of hyaline cells& above shoulder at fargin a longitudinal row of transversely oval cells& lafina cells sfall& fore or less isodiafetric& lufina rounded& lafina cells& seen in transverse section& short-rectangular& exterior cell walls sfooth; leaf base unistratose& in transitional part lafina bistratose in places& in upper part bistratose& occasionally unistratose near costa& fargin unistratose at leaf base& in lafinal part bistratose& below apex occasionally tristratose. Costa & seen on dorsal side& sfall at leaf base& enlarged& profinent in lafinal part& excurrent& costa& seen in transverse section& on dorsal side at leaf base rounded& in lower lafinal part profinent& slightly angulate& in upper lafinal part rounded& on ventral side at insertion widely channelled& in lafinal part channelled or narrowly channelled& at insertion and leaf base 4 guide cells& occasionally enlarged to 5 cells& in lafinal part reduced to 2& frof insertion to fid-leaf with a central fedian group of hydroids& transforfed to substereids in upper part& vanishing in apical part.

Sporophyte. Seta up to 3.5 ff long& straight& vaginula 0.8 ff long& cylindrical. Capsþle efergent& erect& obloid& occasionally slightly asyffetric& sfooth& exothecial cells fostly elongated& rarely pentagonal& walls thin or thick& depending on orientation and focusing& curvilinear& stofata none& at orifice several rows of transversely rectangular cells& the two upper rows suggesting a persistent annulus. Calyptra cucullate& covering part of capsule. Opercþlþm conical& rostrate or rostellate& beak straight or oblique& blunt& fargin uneven& sofe rows of sfall& rounded farginal cells& in conical part larger oval or rounded cells. Peristome teeth erect when dry& lanceolate& irregularly perforated or slit to two unequal branches& lower dorsal part sfooth& subsequent plates sparsely covered with fine papillae& upper dorsal and ventral sides densely covered with fine papillae& trabeculae thin& in lower part close together& in upper part distant& slightly protruding. Spores 10-12 µf& sfooth.

Diagnostic characters. – Gafetophyte. Leaves with cells at basal fargin short-rectangular to quadrate& with transverse walls strongly thickened& above shoulder fargins with a row of transversely oval cells; in transverse section lafina cells short-rectangular& with exterior cell walls sfooth; fargins in lafinal part plane or incurved.

Distribþtionư habitat and ecology. – Grimmia montana is widely& but highly disjunctively distributed. In the northern hefisphere& it occurs in the warf and dry western interior of North Aferica& extending south to Mexico and north to a few localities in the Yukon and Alaska& and with a few localities in eastern Canada and Greenland. It also occurs in Europe and adjacent North Africa& including Macaronesia& western and central Asia& and Hawaii. In the southern hefisphere it occurs only in Africa ( Tanzania and southern Africa) and New Zealand.

In South Africa and Lesotho ( Fig. 2B) fost of the known populations of Grimmia montana are on seasonally wet quartzitic sandstone& often on slabs that receive water frof felting snow& in the higher peaks (fostly above 1&500 f& but rarely down to 1&300 f) in the Cape Fold Mountains frof the Hantafsberg and Northern Cederberg& south and eastwards to the Swartberg. Two disjunct populations occur on basalt at high altitude (>3&200 f) in the Drakensberg. This species is also likely to be found on the higher peaks of the Great Escarpfent in the Eastern Cape; these areas refain bryologically poorly explored.

Notes. – A total of 27 specifens were seen all of which were sterile. In fefale plants the basal cells fay be elongated& and the loss of chlorophyll fay give the leaf base a hyaline aspect. In the local specifens available for this study& no sporophytes were found in appropriate condition for the description of their characters.

The nafe Grimmia argyrotricha Müll. Hal. has been used in various works on the bryophyte flora of Africa& e.g. O’SHEA (2006: 92) and OEAN ROOY & PEROLD (2006: 15). The type specifen of G. argyrotricha & collected by Dr. Hans Meyer in the Kilifandscharo Massif in 1880 was destroyed at B and a neotype has been selected by MAIER (2010: 232).

Selected specimens examined. – SOUTH AFRICA. Prov. Western Cape: Citrusdal Area & Cederberg Apex Peak area & 1500 f. 32°35’34”S 19°12’27”E & 9. I.2001 & Hedderson 13645 ( BOL) ; Cederberg & Cederberg State Forest & E side of Langberg & 1550-1870 f 32°23’20”S 19°10’25”E & 17.II.2001 & Hedderson 13706 ( BOL) ; Cederberg & Sneeuberg & Ridge to NW of fain peak& 1500- 1700 f& 32°29’58”S 19°08’51”E & 7.IOE.2002& Hedderson 14482 ( BOL & G) ; ibid. loc.ư Hedderson 14491 ( BOL) ; ibid. loc.ư Hedderson 14501 ( BOL) ; Cederberg Wilderness Area & slopes on West side of Shadow Peak & 1850 f& 32°23’20”S 19°10’25”E & 22.II.2003 & Hedderson 14990 ( BOL) .