Trichocolea paraphyllina (Spruce) Steph.

  • Authority

    Fulford, Margaret H. 1963. Manual of the leafy Hepaticae of Latin America--Part I. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 11: 1-172.

  • Family

    Trichocoleaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Trichocolea paraphyllina (Spruce) Steph.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants large, in pale yellowish-green tufts; stems coarse, 6-8 cm long, with leaves to 2 mm wide, irregularly pinnate to bipinnate, the primary branches to 1 cm long; stems in transverse section 16-20 cells across, the cortical band of one or two layers of smaller cells; stem paraphyllia usually numerous except on the ventral side, five to eight cells long, rarely branched, uniseriate. Rhizoids in tufts from the lamina of the underleaf, the expanded tips often fused to form a disc-shaped plate. Line of leaf insertion oblique, the leaves succubous. Leaves distant to approximate, spreading, asymmetric, to 1.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, divided to one-half of their length into four to six unequal, often branched, segments; segments narrowly triangular, branched, sparingly ciliate, the cilia long, simple or branched, the cells long, the cuticle striolate-papillose; lamina six to eight cells high, the cells averaging 115 X 32 µ. Underleaves less than half as wide as the leaves, to 1.5 mm long, 1.0 mm wide, divided to three-fourths of their length into five or six unequal, often branched segments, the cilia similar to those of the leaf. Branch leaves and underleaves similar to those of the stem but smaller and with fewer segments. Male inflorescence not seen. Female inflorescence terminal on a stem or branch, with one or two subfloral innovations, the bracts and bracteoles in three series, symmetric, the bracts to 2 mm long, 2 mm wide, divided to two-thirds of their length into five to seven unequal often branched segments, ciliate as in the leaves. Shoot/sporophyte relationship a coelocaule. Coelocaule clubshaped, thick, fleshy, covered with paraphyllia, the unfertilized archegonia at the top. Fig. 5, a-g.

  • Discussion

    Leiomitra paraphyllina Spruce, Trans. Proc. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 15: 350. 1885. Trichocolea difficilis Stephani, Bibliot. Bot. 87: 230. 1916.

  • Distribution

    Habitat: On bark.

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