Dicranodontium pulchroalare Broth.
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Authority
Frahm, Jan-Peter. 1991. Dicranaceae: Campylopodioideae, Paraleucobryoideae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 54: 1-238. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Dicranaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Venezuela. Mt. Roraima, McConnell & Quelch 345 (lectotypus nov., H-BR).
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Description
Species Description - Plants very robust and tall, to 12 cm high, yellowish to brownish green. Stems with reddish tomentum. Leaves 8-12 mm long, canaliculate, narrowly lanceolate, ending in a long, serrate subula. Costa filling 1/3 of the leaf base, in transverse section with multilayered bands of ventral and dorsal stereids, excurrent. Alar cells large, reddish, inflated and prominent. Basal laminal cells rectangular, 20-25 × 50-100 µm, incrassate and pitted, narrower at margins. Upper laminal cells incrassate, strongly pitted, narrowly lanceolate to elongate, 2-5 × 13-25 µm. Sporophyte not known.
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Discussion
In the strongly pitted basal laminal cells and the inflated reddish alar cells this species strongly resembles Dicranodontium subporodictyon Brotherus, a holarctic species, occurring in China, western North America and western Europe. The relationship between these species is not clear and needs further study.
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Distribution
In moist montane forests, known only from the type locality at Mt. Roraima and one additional record from Costa Rica.
Costa Rica South America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America|