Ceratolejeunea fallax (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Bonner

  • Authority

    Dauphin L, G. 2003. . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 90: 1-86. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lejeuneaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ceratolejeunea fallax (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Bonner

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Rio de Janeiro. Serra d Estrella, Beyrich s.n. (holotype, S; isotypes, JE, W).

  • Synonyms

    Ceratolejeunea brasiliensis (Gottsche) Steph., Ceratolejeunea peruviana Steph., Ceratolejeunea corniculata Spruce ex Steph., Ceratolejeunea fusilobula Herzog, Jungermannia fallax Lehm. & Lindenb., Lejeunea fallax (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Lehm. & Lindenb.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants autoicous or dioicous, brown to almost black, leafy shoots 0.9-1.4 mm wide, sparsely to profusely branched. Stems 90-160 µm in diameter, medullary cells 12-22 in cross section, ventral cells in surface view quadrate to rectangular, 35-60 × 40-90 µm, dorsal cells quadrate to rectangular, 35-60 × 4090 µm, cell walls thick, ca. 12 µm thick. Flagelliferous branches when present with toothed leaves. Stem leaves imbricate, lobe ovate to ligulate from a wide base, 380-600 × 560-760 µm, margins entire or toothed at the apex, teeth 2-6 per leaf, 1-2 cells long, ca. 20 µm long, postical margin entire or with 0-2 teeth, apex rounded or broadly acute, weakly incurved or plane; median leaf lobe cells isodiametrical to elliptical, 15-30 × 20-35 µm; marginal cells quadrate to rectangular, 10-20 × 15-25 µm; oil bodies not seen; ocelli 20-40 × 40-65 µm, mostly seriate, basal or geminate, isolate or contiguous, 1-5 per leaf; lobules ovoid or spherical, 0.2-0.3 the leaf lobe length, free margin involute or plane, apical tooth short or elongate and curved. Utriculi absent or in pairs at the base of lateral branches. Underleaves imbricate or shortly distant on main branches, wide ovate to reniform, 320-795 × 280-700 µm, lobes acute, ending in a one-celled tip, margins entire, base usually cordate, lobes rounded. Androecia lateral on main branches, in spikes of 3-7 pairs of bracts; spikes 550-950 µm long; bracteole 65-170 × 80-200 µm, bifid, 2 per spike. Gynoecia on lateral branches with 1-2 sterile or repeatedly fertile innovations; bracts obovate, 330-470 × 520-850 µm, margins toothed distally, apex rounded to acute; bracteole ovate, 460-580 × 650-750 µm, bifid to 1/3, lobes acuminate, margins entire, connate at the base with the bracts. Perianth obconic, 480-530 × 720-900 µm, when young with four low carinae (Figure 26A), or with slender horns, triangular to inflated, 50-80 × 80-300 µm. Spores irregularly shaped, mostly rectangular, 20-30 × 4560 µm, strongly papillose, with well defined rosettes.

  • Discussion

    Ceratolejeunea fallax is defined by the combination of seriate ocelli, the robust size and the imbricate, wide ovate to reniform underleaves with cordate bases. The seriate ocelli in some leaves is the only character that allows separation of this taxon from robust forms of Ceratolejeunea filaria (Taylor ex Lehm.) Steph. This species also resembles the Caribbean C. brevinervis (Spruce) Evans, which has moniliate ocelli, very strongly recurved leaf apices and a more robust, darker appearance. This species is closely related to C. comuta, for comparisons see under the latter.

    Bonner (1953, pp. 190, 191).

  • Distribution

    Widespread from Mexico to Southern Brazil, this species grows from lowland rainforests to lower montane forests, from 200-1600 m, but reaching almost 3000 m in the Venezuelan Andes. It usually grows on bark or rock in inundated and wet habitats.

    Mexico North America| Costa Rica South America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Cuba South America| Santiago de Cuba Cuba South America| Guadeloupe South America| Martinique South America| Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Risaralda Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Falcón Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Mazaruni Guyana South America| Ecuador South America| Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America|