Cololejeunea morobensis (Pócs) Pócs

Thouvenot, Louis & Müller, Frank, 2021, Contribution to the bryophyte flora of New Caledonia IV. Species new to the country, new localities together with taxonomic notes, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (13), pp. 181-196 : 184

Cololejeunea morobensis (Pócs) Pócs

SPECIMEN EXAMINED. — New Caledonia. North Province, Touho, Massif des Lèvres, Tipéléi upper valley, 20°50’11”S, 165°8’31”E, epiphyllous on fern in lowland rain forest, 315 m, 12.X.2012, Thouvenot NC2224 PC[(PC0712103)].

COMMENTS

Originally described as Aphanolejeunea morobensis Pócs from Papua-New Guinea ( Pócs & Piippo 1999), this Lejeuneaceae has been subsequently reported from the South Province of New Caledonia (Pic du Grand Kaori) by He & Christenhusz (2009). Our collection extends its distributional range to North Province. This species may have been overlooked because of its very small size (leaves 170 µm long, shoots 300 µm wide) and of the under-collection of epiphyllous bryophytes in New Caledonia.