Calymperes pallidum Mitt.

  • Authority

    Reese, William D. 1993. Calymperaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 58: 1-102. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Calymperaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Calymperes pallidum Mitt.

  • Type

    Type. Rodriguez. Balfour s.n. (lectotype, BM).

  • Synonyms

    Calymperes uleanum Broth., Calymperes cubense R.S.Williams, Calymperes piovanoi Bizot

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants pale, soft, yellowish-green, often tinged with pink below, to 20 mm tall, leaf bases glossy and conspicuous when dry because of broadly exposed cancellinae. Leaves folded and uncinate when dry, 2-4 mm long, upper lamina linear-lanceolate, about as long as or shorter than the much broader lower lamina; margins of upper lamina slightly thickened, sharply serrate; teniolae present but sometimes obscured by involution of leaf margins; cancellinae sharply distinct, bulging ventrally, with conspicuously mammillose cells distally on adaxial surface; cells of upper lamina smooth to papillose dorsally, highly bulging-mammillose ventrally, ca. 6-10 pm diam.; costa mostly highly papillose, lacking distinct bands of stereid cells as seen in section; gemmiferous leaves not much differentiated, bearing gemmae only on ventral surface of tips. Seta ca. 3.5 mm long; capsule 2 mm long; operculum 0.7 mm long. Spores 17-24 µm, papillose. Calyptra 3.5-4 mm long, smooth or slightly roughened above.

  • Discussion

    This species, although common in much of tropical Africa, is very rare elsewhere in its range. It is easily recognized by its soft texture, conspicuous cancellinae with ventrally mammillose distal cells, and lack of stereid cells in the costa. Calymperes erosum C. Müll, is similar but has conspicuous stereid bands in the costa and bears gemmae all around the tips of the costae instead of only ventrally. This species was previously known in the Americas as G uleanum Broth., in Africa as G rabenhorstii Hampe & C. Miill., and in Asia as G gemmiphyllum Fleisch. Calymperes subg. Somphoneurum, of which this species is the only American representative, is defined by the lack of dorsal and ventral fields of well-defined stereid cells in the costa, as viewed in section, so that the cell net of the costa section appears spongy.

  • Distribution

    Cuba; Guadeloupe; Colombia; Trinidad; Suriname; French Guiana; Peru (Loreto); Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Goias, Mato Grosso; Rondônia); Ecuador; Africa; Madagascar; Java; Sumatra; Sabah. At low altitudes on tree trunks, particularly on palms.

    Cuba South America| Guadeloupe South America| Colombia South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Suriname South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America|