Ceratolejeunea rubiginosa Steph.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Lejeuneaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ceratolejeunea rubiginosa Steph.

  • Type

    Type. Cuba. Without locality, Wright s.n. (holotype, G).

  • Synonyms

    Ceratolejeunea pseudoneura Zwickel

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants autoicous, reddish brown, leafy shoots 0.31.0 mm wide; sparsely branched. Stems 60-90 |im in diameter, medullary cells 9-21 in cross section, ventral cells in surface view quadrate to short rectangular, 15-30 × 20-50 µm, dorsal cells rectangular, 20-35 × 25-40 µm. Flagelliferous branches not seen. Leaves imbricate, lobe ovate, slightly asymmetrical, 200-390 × 240-1000 µm, apex rounded to acute, margins entire, irregularly crenate to toothed with 320 teeth on the antical margin, teeth to 15 µm long, sometimes appearing as cuticular projections between marginal cells; median leaf lobe cells isodiametrical to short elliptical, 10-30 × 15-35 µm, intermediate thickenings frequent; marginal leaf lobe cells 5-15 × 10-20 µm; oil bodies not seen; ocelli rectangular, 25-35 × 15-55 µm, 2-7 per leaf, moniliate, rows 1-2, 95-185 µm long; lobules ovoid, 0.3 the leaf lobe length, free margin slightly involute, reduced lobules absent. Utriculi single at the base of lateral branches. Underleaves ovate, 110-190 × 90-210 µm, margins plane, entire or with one or two blunt cellular projections, bifid to 1/2, lobes acute, uniseriate tip 1-2 cells long. Androecia lateral on main branches, in spikes of 2-7 pairs of bracts, 475-1100 µm long; bracteole obovate, 90-110 × 105-125 µm, bifid to 1/3, lobes acute. Gynoecia on lateral branches with one sterile innovation; bracts obovate, margins dentate at the apex; bracteoles ovate, 285-350 × 400-500 µm, dentate at the apex, teeth to 20 µm (1-2 cells) long, bifid to 1/2, lobes acuminate. Perianth obconic, 290-320 × 550 µm; horns inflated, 110-120 µm long. Seta 195 µm (4+12 cells) in cross section, hyaline or rarely tinged with brown. Capsule valves 162.5 × 305-315 µm. Elaters 10-12.5 × 170-225 µm, 4-5 per valve, base rarely tinged with brown. Valves lanceolate-elliptic, ca. 150 × 250 µm. Spores 20 × 45-52.5 µm, with few, well-defined rosettes.

  • Discussion

    This species can be separated from Ceratolejeunea cubensis, C. guianensis, and C. laetefusca by the moniliate ocelli and its reddish brown color. It can be separated from Ceratolejeunea ceratantha which has up to three seriate ocelli, by the occurrence of tiny teeth throughout the antical leaf margin. Robust specimens of C. rubiginosa can also be recognized by the occurrence of a second row of ocelli.

  • Distribution

    Distributed in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, and Cocos Island. Fulford (1945) and Schuster (1980) reported it also from Florida. This species can be epiphyllous, corticolous, or can grow on rotting bark in humid areas from lowlands up to the lower montane forest (0-ca. 1000 m).

    Costa Rica South America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Puntarenas Costa Rica Central America| Bahamas South America| Cuba South America| Oriente Cuba South America| Puerto Rico South America|