Monoclea gottschei Lindb.
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Authority
Bischler, Hélène, et al. 2005. Marchantiidae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 97: 1--262. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Monocleaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type (Gradstein et al., 1992). Chile. Los Lagos: Valdivia, Corral, 5 June 1896, Dusen 125, with male receptacles and sporophytes (neotype, G; isoneotypes, NY, S).
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Synonyms
Monoclea gottschei Lindb. subsp. gottschei, Monoclea gottschei subsp. elongata Gradst. & R.Mues
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Description
Species Description - Antheridial receptacles variable, orbicular to longer than wide, margins irregularly and obtusely crenate-crispate, rarely entire, bristlelike hairs lacking. Sporophyte seta 0.6-0.9 mm diam., made up of 20-25 rows of cells; capsule 5-7 times longer than wide; capsule wall thickening bands approx. 2.5 µm wide (longitudinal section), subvertical in position and not bulging outwards, the radial walls in cross section smooth. Gametophytic chromosome number n = 9.
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Discussion
Monoclea gottschei often grows associated with Dumortiera hirsuta. Fertile material of the latter species is easily recognized by the short-stalked, rounded male and female receptacles with hairy margins, but sterile thalli of the 2 species may be confusingly alike. The thallus of Dumortiera is usually more glossy and evenly green (becoming olive-green when dry), the margins are plane or somewhat irregularly sinuate, never crispate, and the thallus surface does not have any dots. However, the characteristic dots of Monoclea are usually not plainly visible in old herbarium material. A very good difference is the presence of a whitish to yellowish "midrib" on the underside of the thallus of Dumortiera, made up of very tightly associated, tuberculate rhizoids forming a narrow strand along the midline of the thallus. The rhizoidal strand is often surrounded by more loosely associated rhizoids. Long, pale rhizoids may curve away from the midline to the thallus margins in a parallel fashion. In thin thalli, the rhizoidal strand may be clearly visible in dorsal view, resembling a midrib. Such a false midrib is lacking in Monoclea; its presence or absence is a reliable character to separate sterile, dried thalli of the 2 genera. Moreover, rhizoids in Monoclea are smooth or only slightly tuberculate, never densely tuberculate as in Dumortiera.
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Distribution
Widely distributed in the mountains of the Neotropics (subsp. elongata) and at low elevations in warm-temperate regions of Chile and Argentina (subsp. gottschei). Monoclea gottschei grows in moist, shaded places in disturbed and undisturbed montane rainforests, on moist earth, leaf litter, rotten wood, trunk bases, and thin, wet soil over rock, usually near running water, from sea level in warm-temperate regions to nearly 4000 m in the tropical Andes.
Chile South America| Los Lagos Chile South America| Argentina South America|