Entodontopsis mexicana (R.S.Williams) W.R.Buck & Ireland

  • Authority

    Ireland, Robert R. & Buck, William R. 1994. Stereophyllaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 65: 1-49. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Stereophyllaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Entodontopsis mexicana (R.S.Williams) W.R.Buck & Ireland

  • Type

    Types. Mexico, Jalisco, near Guadalajara, Pringle 707 (lectotype, NY); 705-706 (syntypes, FH, M, MO, TENN, US).

  • Synonyms

    Stereophyllum mexicanum R.S.Williams

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants pale- to yellow-green, in loose or dense, glossy mats. Stems complanate or sometimes subjulaceous, to 3 cm long, 1-4 mm wide, simple or irregularly and sparingly branched; axillary hairs with a rectangular brown basal cell and 3-4 short-rectangular hyaline apical cells. Leaves lax, close to distant, erect-spreading, usually imbricate when dry, smooth, 1.0-2.5 mm long, 0.4-1.0 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate; margins plane or incurved below the middle, entire, sometimes serrulate near the apex; costa extending to midleaf or somewhat above; cells smooth, median cells 94-188 µm long, 7-9 µm wide; alar cells quadrate to short-rectangular, sometimes oblate, 24-17 µm long, 19-47 µm wide. Autoicous. Setae orange to reddish brown, 0.6-1.5 cm long; capsules orange to reddish brown, erect, 1.5-3.0 mm long, cylindric to ellipsoidal, not contracted below mouth when dry ; opercula obliquely short-rostrate, ca. 0.7 mm long. Spores 15-27 µm in diameter.

  • Discussion

    Entodontopsis mexicana is not readily recognized unless it has sporophytes and the erect capsules are present. The gametophytes are best known by their complanate stems with narrow, gradually acuminate leaves that are serrulate near the apices. The species is morphologically close to E. contorte-operculata but that species is smaller and has shorter leaf cells (mean ca. 70 µm long vs. mean ca. 140 µm long).

  • Distribution

    Rare; endemic to Mexico (Fig. 13). On tree trunks and limbs, exposed roots, rotten stumps and logs, sometimes on rock and soil, at elevations of 305-1128 m.

    Mexico North America| Jalisco Mexico North America| Nayarit Mexico North America|