Tortella fruchartii (Müll. Hal.) R. H. Zander

Jimenez, Soledad, Suárez, Guillermo M. & Zander, Richard H., 2019, Novelties on Tortella (Pottiaceae, Bryophyta) from South America, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (8), pp. 87-96 : 88-90

Tortella fruchartii (Müll. Hal.) R. H. Zander

( Figs 1; 2 )

In Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 32: 104 (1993). — Phascum fruchartii Müll. Hal. , Flora 71: 4 (1888). — Systegium fruchartii (Müll. Hal.) Kindb., Enumeratio Bryinearum Exoticarum, Supplementum 95. (1889) — Astomum fruchartii (Müll. Hal.) Broth., Bihang till Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 26 Afd. 3(7): 19 (1900). — Type: Uruguay, Montevideo, en la terra, VIII.1874: Arechavaleta 205, in Hb. Lund. (syn-, H!, NY!)

Astomum latifolium Broth., Aussereur. Laubm. 190. 17 f. 8 (1910). — Type: Brazil, Porto Allegre ( Brasilien), bei der Vorstadt Saõ Joaõ, auf Erdböschungen, E. M. Reineck & J. Czermak 222, 23.V.1899 (iso-, BM!).

SPECIMEN EXAMINED.— Uruguay. Rocha, Parque Fortaleza Santa Teresa, 33°58’39’’S, 53°32’17’’W, 33 m, sobre suelo, 3.I.2011, G. Suárez 1047 (CTES, LIL, MO).

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. New World species described by Müller (1888) from Uruguay and later reported from Brazil ( Roth [1910 -] 1911; Yano 1981), Mexico ( Delgadillo & Cárdenas 1996) and Paraguay ( Brotherus 1900; Buck 1985; O’Shea & Price 2008) ( Fig. 3 ). This is the second record in Uruguay collected 135 years after original collection in 1874.

DESCRIPTION

Plants

Loosely caespitose forming low turfs, yellowish green above, brown below.

Stems

0.2-0.3 cm long, erect, simple, in cross section rounded to rounded-pentagonal, central strand well-developed, sclerodermis present but usually weak, hyalodermis present, composed of cells that are little collapsed when mature, weakly radiculose, reddish brown rhizoids, axillary hairs ca. 110 µm long, 5-6 cells in length, all hyaline.

Leaves

Evenly distributed along the stem, erect-flexuose, convolute when dry, spreading when moist, ligulate to lanceolate, 1.7- 2.2 × 0.3-0.4 mm, margins plane, entire at base, weakly crenulate to dentate with projecting papillae below midleaf, apex obtusely mucronate; base oblong, weakly differentiated in shape; costa 106-112 µm in width near base, short excurrent as a mucro, in cross section ovate, ventral and dorsal stereid bands well developed, 6-8 guide cells in 1(-2) layers, hydroid strand absent, ventral epidermis present from base to apex, dorsal weakly developed to absent from base to apex; upper laminal cells quadrate to hexagonal, 8.3-9.9 × 4.9-6.6 µm, walls thin, superficially convex on both sides, papillose, papillae bifid, 3-4 per lumen, basal cells differentiated across leaf in a V-shape, extending ⅓ above the base, well differentiated from the upper cells, long-rectangular to linear, 24-41 × 3.3-8.3 µm, walls thin, smooth, gradual transition in a V-shaped.

A B C D E

Autoicous

Perichaetia

Terminal. Perichaetial leaves little differentiated, lanceolate, 0.7-0.9 × 0.1-0.3 mm.

Perigonia

Not seen.

Seta

Less than 0.1 cm long.

Theca

Immersed, ellipsoidal to cylindric, long rostrate, reddish brown; exothecial cells mostly short-rectangular, 54-69 × 23-28 µm, stomata absent, annulus absent, dehiscence by irregular rupture, peristome absent.

Calyptra

Cucullate.

Spores

Bilateral, concave-convex in shape, 16-18 µm, brown to yellowish brown, rugulate, with long rugulae in distal view, turning short towards proximal view appearing wide verrucae. Laminal KOH reaction yellow.

Figures

FIG. 2.— Tortella fruchartii (Müll. Hal.) R. H. Zander sporophyte and spores micrographs: A, Capsule showing apicule covered by the calyptra; B, Capsule irregularly ruptured; C, Spores; D, Spore detail in distal view; E, Spore detail in proximal view (A, D, E made with SEM and B, C with LM). Scale bars: A, B, 0.5 mm; C, 10 µm; D, E, 5 µm (all from Suárez 1047, CTES).

FIG. 3.— Distribution map of Tortella fruchartii (Müll. Hal.) R. H. Zander and T. lilliputana (Müll. Hal. ex G. Roth) R. H. Zander. Black circles, previously known records of T. fruchartii in Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay; empty circle, rediscovery of T. fruchartii in Uruguay; black squares, previously known records of T. lilliputana in Brazil and Panama; empty square, new record of T. lilliputana in Paraguay.