Warnstorfia luipichensis (R.S.Williams) Hedenäs
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Authority
Hedenäs, Lars. 2003. Amblystegiaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 89: 1--107. (Published by NYBG Press)
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Family
Campyliaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Bolivia. Nr. Luipichi Pas, 9 Sep 1901, R. S. Williams 2021 (isotypes, H, NY).
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Synonyms
Calliergon luipichense R.S.Williams
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Description
Species Description - Plants medium-sized to large; deep red, variegated red and green, or green. Stem branching irregularly and sparsely to regularly and indistinctly pinnately (radially); hyalodermis absent; pseudoparaphyllia broad (often broader than long), irregular in outline; axillary hairs with 1-3-celled upper part, this hyaline when young. Stem leaves straight and erect to erect-patent (rarely patent), ovate or elongate-ovate, narrowing gradually or abruptly from shortly below apex, not plicate, concave, near apex sometimes almost tubular for a short distance; apex acuminate or short-acuminate (sometimes acute-apiculate or rarely rounded-apiculate); margin near leaf apex denticulate or sometimes strongly denticulate; margin below apex (mostly in upper half of leaf but sometimes also farther down or only in median leaf sections) finely or very finely but often sparsely denticulate (the fine denticulation is sometimes difficult to see in damaged specimens); costa single, long, ending 65-80%) of way up leaf; median laminal cells 55.0-155.0 × 6.5-11.0(-12.5) µm, thin-walled or slightly incrassate, eporose or porose; alar cells inflated, hyaline (when old sometimes brownish); alar group large and well differentiated, triangular or transverse-triangular, often with lateral areas much below the costa insertion due to an inversely U-shaped leaf insertion, extending from leaf margin ca. 65% of distance to leaf middle at insertion. [Sexual condition, perigonia, perichaetia and sporophytes unknown.]
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Discussion
Warnstorfia luipichensis was reported only from Bolivia (Delgadillo et al., 1995; Williams, 1909), but actually is more widespread in the Andes. The stem leaves in this species and in W sarmentosa are straight, frequently erect to erect-patent, and ovate or elongate-ovate. In Warnstorfia luipichensis the upper part of the stem leaves narrows gradually or abruptly from shortly below apex to an acuminate or short-acuminate (sometimes acute-apiculate, or rarely rounded-apiculate) apex. In W. sarmentosa the leaves are more rarely acuminate or short-acuminate, and more often rounded-apiculate than in W. luipichensis. In Warnstorfia luipichensis, the stem leaf margin is frequently coarsely denticulate near the leaf apex and finely denticulate below, at least partially so and in many leaves, whereas it is entire or has one or a few occasional denticles near the apex and is entire or slightly sinuose below in W. sarmentosa. Finally, the alar groups tend to be larger in W. luipichensis than in W. sarmentosa. In the northern Andes, these two species are usually easily separated, but because scattered specimens in the subantarctic and antarctic areas are difficult to refer to either taxon, the status of W. luipichensis is in need of further evaluation. Warnstorfia uipichensis could also be confused with Straminergon stramineum, and the differences between these are mentioned under the latter.
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Distribution
Venezuela (3780 m a.s.l.), Colombia (3200-3500 m), Ecuador (4000-4050 m), and Bolivia (3480-4770 m). Also known from southernmost Chile (Roivainen 138, S). Endemic to S America. In intermediately mineral-rich wetlands, such as mires, where it is frequently associated with springs or moving water; on lake and brook shores; sometimes submerged in rills, wet swamps, or small bodies of water.
Venezuela South America| Mérida Venezuela South America| Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Tungurahua Ecuador South America| Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|