Macromitrium cuspidatum Hampe, 1844

Shevock, James R., 2015, Species of Macromitrium (Orthotrichaceae) New to the Mindanao Region and the Philippines with One Species New to Science, Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 62 (21), pp. 541-549 : 546

Macromitrium cuspidatum Hampe

SPECIMENS EXAMINED:— Camiguin Island: Municipality of Mambajao, Mt. Hibok-Hibok , along Tagdo Trail to the summit at 710 m elev., on tree trunk in filtered sunlight, 8 Jul 2015, Shevock & B . C . Tan 47157 ( CAS, CMUH, UC). Mindanao Island : Davao Oriental Province, along trail from Camp 2 near pygmy forest to summit of Mt. Hamiguitan, 1040 m elev., on tree trunk in filtered sunlight, 22 Jun 2015, Shevock & Yorong 46898 ( CAS, CMUH, UC); ibid, along trail from Camp 2 to Twin Falls , mid-slope of Mt. Hamiguitan , 900–960 m elev., on tree trunk in filtered sunlight, 23 Jun 2015, Shevock & Yorong 46937, 46953 ( CAS, CMUH, UC) .

This is a distinctive species of Macromitrium in the Philippine moss flora and can be easily identified by the nearly all oblong to elongate and smooth leaf cells, coupled with a long excurrent costa. The plants are yellowish green in color and moderately large in size, which make the sporophyte look small in comparison. It has been reported from many places in island groups of Luzon, Mindoro, Palawan and Visayan Region ( Tan and Iwatsuki 1991), but not from Mindanao Island until a report on the mosses of Mt. Kiamo in Bukidnon Province, was published by Tan et al. (2015). The above cited collections provide a north and south distribution range extension across Mindanao Island. Macromitrium cuspidatum is a widespread species in Malesia but not as commonly encountered as M. blumei .