Tortula acaulon (With.) R.H.Zander

Larraín, Juan, Cano, María J. & Jiménez, Juan A., 2020, New bryophyte records from the Mediterranean region of Chile, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (11), pp. 131-140 : 136

Tortula acaulon (With.) R.H.Zander

SPECIMEN EXAMINED. — Chile. Región de Valparaíso: Provincia de Marga Marga, Quillota, formación de Acacia caven con Maytenus boaria y algo de matorral de Sophora macrocarpa , en parche lineal de vegetación nativa, algo intervenido, rodeado por sectores de uso agrícola, 32°51’57.4”S, 71°11’15.0”W, 186 m, XI.2016, P. Sandoval s.n. (CONC).

REMARKS

The Chilean specimen studied has oblong-lanceolate leaves, completely smooth laminal cells, immersed, cleistocarpic, shortly apiculate capsules, and spores c. 30 µm in diameter. The specimen collected is in a very poor condition, but the presence of a few well developed capsules allowed proper identification. It was growing on bare soil in open native vegetation within highly disturbed agricultural land, at c. 200 m a.s.l.

This is a globally widely distributed taxon, known from Europe, North Africa, temperate Asia, Australia, and North, Central and South America ( Cano & Gallego 2008). In South America, this species was previously known only from Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, and Montevideo in Uruguay ( Cano & Gallego 2008).

A complete description and illustrations of this species are given by Guerra (2006b, as Phascum cuspidatum ), and Cano & Gallego (2008).