Lindigianthus cipaconeus (Gottsche) Kruijt & Gradst.
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Authority
Gradstein, S. Robbert. 1994. Lejeuneaceae: Ptychantheae, Brachiolejeuneae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 62: 216. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Lejeuneaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Colombia ("Nova Granata"). Lindig s.n. (lectotype, G).
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Synonyms
Dicranolejeunea circinnata (Spruce) Steph., Dicranolejeunea jelskii (Loitl.) Steph., Lejeunea cipaconea Gott, Dicranolejeunea cipaconea (Gott) Steph., Lejeunea circinnata Spruce, Lejeunea jelskii Loitl.
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Description
Species Description - Dioicous. Plants usually rather robust, to 10 cm long × 1.5-2.5 mm wide, glossy brown, creeping, usually forming mats. Branching Lejeunea-type or Frullania-type, irregular, flagelliform branches lacking. Stems 0.15-0.35 mm in diam., somewhat flattened, in cross section composed of 10-17 slightly thickwalled epidermal cells surrounding 36-66 smaller, ± thinwalled medullary cells, all cell walls colorless; ventral merophyte four cell rows wide. Leaves imbricate, when wet widely spreading with broadly recurved apex, when dry leaf apex more strongly recurved-inrolled, enveloping the underleaves, dorsal lobe ovate, 1.2-1.4 × 1 mm, apex acute, margins entire or toothed near apex with 1-4 teeth, ventral margin forming a wide angle of ca. 160° with the keel; median cells subisodiametrical, averaging 25-35 µm in diam., with radiate trigones and an occasional intermediate thickening on longer cell walls; oil bodies small, homogeneous, Massula-type, ellipsoid, 10-15(-25) per cell; ocelli lacking. Lobules triangular, ca. l/3× lobe length, rarely reduced, keel arched, free margin with two inflexed teeth, the teeth 2-4 cells long, first tooth longer than second tooth; hyaline papilla located 3-4 cells below the first tooth on the inner surface of the lobule. Underleaves strongly imbricate, broadly ovate to reniform, 0.45-0.75 × 0,8-1.3 mm, ca. 4× stem width, apex rounded, margins entire, plane or somewhat recurved, bases broadly rounded, insertion line arched, 0.15-0.2 mm deep; underleaf base at rhizoid disc tri-stratose, in cross section with four superior central cells; rhizoids rarely produced. Androecia on an elongated Lejeunea-type branch, bracts in ca. 10 series, slightly smaller than leaves, lobule about half the size of the lobe, epistatic, underleaves present throughout; bracteoles present throughout the spike; antheridia two per bract. Gynoecia with two pycnolejeuneoid innovations, bracts in one series, narrowly winged along the keel, lobe acute, entire or toothed, lobule large, ca. l/2-3/4× lobe lenght, acute, lobule and wing partly inserted on the innovation; bracteoles orbicular to elongated, apex rounded, entire or toothed. Perianths oblong-lingulate, up to 2.5 mm long, exserted to 1/2, sometimes stalked, flattened, with two sharp lateral keels only, the dorsal and ventral surfaces smooth or slightly furrowed, the lateral keels entire or with a few (up to 3 cells long) obtuse teeth on a wing of one row of cells wide; beak lacking. Sporophyte: seta articulate; spores with rudimentary rosettes; otherwise as in the tribe. Vegetative reproduction not observed.
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Discussion
Lindigianthus cipaconeus is a rather robust, glossy brownish plant with strongly convex leaves and broadly recurved, toothed (rarely entire) leaf apices. The underleaves are very large and have deeply arched insertion lines, somewhat auriculate bases and entire margins. The leaf lobules are rather large, at least 1/3 the length of the lobe, and have two small teeth along the free margin. The cell walls of stems and leaves are very thin (except for the radiate trigones and small intermediate thickenings) and are colorless, without any trace of secondary pigmentation. The plants are unmistakable and cannot be confused with any other neotropical species of Lejeuneaceae.
Chemistry: Terpenoids: the species is rich in sesquiterpenoids and diterpenoids; the major components are two unidentified oxygenated sesquiterpenoids and probably a diterpene hydrocarbon (Gradstein et al., 1981).
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Distribution
Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. Lindigianthus cipaconeus occurs in montane and subalpine scrub and lower paramos in the northern Andes, at altitudes of ca. 2000-3500 m. It prefers partially shaded, moist locations and grows on bark, humose soil, and on litter. The author has found L. cipaconeus several times at the edges of forests and in bogs, on litter under shrubs and between the rosette leaves of tree fern species of the genus Blechnum (Lomaria).
Costa Rica South America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Táchira Venezuela South America| Trujillo Venezuela South America| Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America| Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America|