Schiffneriolejeunea amazonica Gradst.

  • Authority

    Gradstein, S. Robbert. 1994. Lejeuneaceae: Ptychantheae, Brachiolejeuneae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 62: 216. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lejeuneaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Schiffneriolejeunea amazonica Gradst.

  • Type

    Type. Bolivia. Beni: 22 km NW of Guayaramerin, along road to Cachuela Esperanza Forest, Reese 12815 (holotype, U; isotypes, INPA, LAF, NY).

  • Description

    Species Description - Autoicous. Plants 1-2 cm long × 1-1.5 mm wide, dull brown to blackish when dry, creeping. Branching irregularly pinnate, Lejeunea-type. Stems up to 0.1 mm in diam.; ventral merophyte four cell rows wide. Leaves subimbricate, when dry suberect and appressed to the stem (not convoluted), when moist obliquely spreading, dorsal lobe plane, ovate-oblong, up to 0.9 × 0.55 mm, apex rounded, ventral margin plane, forming a very wide angle with the keel; leaf cells in midleaf ca. 30-40 × 20 µm, trigones well-developed, intermediate thickenings rare; oil bodies not observed. Lobules large, never reduced, l/2-3/5× lobe length, narrow rectangular, up to 0.55 × 0.2 mm, apex truncate, with 2 teeth, first tooth 2-3 cells long, second tooth similar or shorter, sometimes merely a bluntish angle. Underleaves imbricate, (sub)quadrate. 0.35-0.4 mm wide, 4× stem width, apex truncate, plane, bases rather broad and slightly decurrent, insertion line shallowly curved. Androecia terminating elongated branches, bracts in 5-8 series. Gynoecia with 2-3 series of bracts, inner bracts obliquely spreading, sharply keeled and boat-shaped over 2/3 of length, lobe asymmetrically oblong, up to 1.3 mm long, lobule about as long as the lobe but narrower, both lobe and lobule with acute-acuminate apex and entire margins; inner bracteole as long as the bracts, oblong, tapering to a short bifid apex, incision very narrow, the two segments overlapping. Perianths immersed, pyriform with retuse apex, up to 0.8 mm long, somewhat inflated, with 4 long, sharp keels which are narrowly winged (1-2 cells wide) and irregularly notched to subentire above; beak conspicuous, 7-10 cells long. Sporophyte not observed.

  • Discussion

    Schiffneriolejeunea amazonica is distinguished from S. polycarpa by the characters mentioned in the key. By its sharply keeled female bracts, with lobe and lobule of equal length, and the sharply 4-keeled perianth S. amazonica closely resembles S. occulta (Steph.) Gradst. from West Africa. The latter species, however, has shorter lobules with only one tooth, broader leaves and female bracts, and obtuse bract apices (acute-acuminate in S. amazonica). The two species constitute an Afro-American species pair and occupy a rather isolated position within the genus Schiffneriolejeunea (Gradstein, 1985a).

  • Distribution

    Amazonia, Guianas; in lowland areas only. Although occurring throughout the vast Amazonian basin, Schiffneriolejeunea amazonica is only known from a few collections. The species seems to be exclusively epiphytic and grows on small trees and saplings in rather dry woodlands, scrub (caatinga) and savannas of inner Amazonia. In the Guianas the species seems to have a somewhat different ecology and has only been found in the crowns of mature rain forest trees.

    Peru South America| Suriname South America| French Guiana South America| Loreto Peru South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Bolivia South America|