Fissidens berteroi (Mont.) Müll.Hal.

  • Authority

    Pursell, Ronald A. 2007. Fissidentaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 101 (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Fissidentaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Fissidens berteroi (Mont.) Müll.Hal.

  • Type

    Type. Chile. [Valparaiso:] Quillota, 1829, Bertero s.n. (holotype, PC-Mont; isotype, BM, NY, PC). Fife (1995) and Beever (1995) corrected the specific epithet from berteri to berteroi, to reflect better its derivation from the name of the collector, Carlo Giuseppe Bertero.

  • Synonyms

    Conomitrium berterii Mont., Octodiceras berterii (Mont.) A.Jaeger, Fissidens parvus Mitt., Conomitrium molle Müll.Hal., Fissidens mollis Mitt., Fissidens permollis Thér., Conomitrium nigritellum Müll.Hal., Fissidens nigritellus (Müll.Hal.) Broth., Conomitrium lorentziae Müll.Hal., Fissidens lorentziae (Müll.Hal.) Broth., Fissidens brevicaulis Broth., Conomitrium brevicaule (Broth.) Paris

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants and stems as in subgeneric description. Leaves ± crispate, fragile when dry, in numerous pairs, usually distant, lanceolate to linearly lanceolate, acute, to 8.5 mm long x 0.9 mm wide; costa ending 15-30 (-65) cells below leaf apex, bryoides type; margin ± entire, elimbate or weakly limbate on proximal 1/3 or less of vaginant laminae, limbidial cells unistratose; dorsal lamina usually ending above the insertion; vaginant laminae of cauline leaves 2/5— 1/2 leaf length, acute, ± equal, ending on or very near margin; laminal cells distinct, eguttulate, unistratose, firm-walled, smooth, plane to slightly bulging, quadrate to oblong to hexagonal, 13-24 µm long x 11-15 µm wide, juxtacostal ones largest, marginal ones smallest. Monoicous; perigonia and perichaetia on short axillary branches, 1-3 per leaf axil. Sporophytes 1 per perichaetium, reddish, caducous; seta 0.9-1.8 mm long; theca emergent, erect, radially symmetric, 0.50-0.80 mm long, estomatose, exothecial cells quadrate to oblong, vertical walls thicker than horizontal walls, collenchymatous; operculum conic, short-rostrate, 0.4-0.5 mm long; peristome anomalous, variable, teeth divided 1/2-3/4 their length, ± smooth to finely papillose, lower papillae often arranged in vertical rows, filaments spirally thickened, papillose. Spores smooth, 16-25 µm diam. Calyptra not seen.

  • Discussion

    A synonym from outside the area of this study (Beever, 1995; Pursell, 1987): Fissidens muelleri (Hampe) Mitt.

    Fissidens berteroi is distinguished by lateral sporophytes that are caducous, more or less equal vaginant laminae that can be weakly limbate proximally, and a relatively short costa. The limbidium, when three or more cells wide, is easily recognized. However, a limbidium only a single cell in width can be easily overlooked.

  • Distribution

    South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay); attached to various substrata in slowly to rapidly flowing water; near sea level to 400 m. The species also occurs in New Zealand and Australia.

    Puno Peru South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Valparaíso Chile South America| Chile South America| Buenos Aires Argentina South America| Chaco Argentina South America| Córdoba Argentina South America| Rio Negro Argentina South America| Flores Uruguay South America|