Trabacellula tumidula Fulford

  • Authority

    Fulford, Margaret H. 1968. Manual of the leafy Hepaticae of Latin America--Part III. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 11: 277-392.

  • Family

    Cephaloziaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Trabacellula tumidula Fulford

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants coarse, yellow-brown when dry, prostrate, in mats or scattered among other bryophytes. Stems to 3 cm long, with leaves 0.8-1.0 mm wide, occasionally branched; branches ventral-intercalary, leafy or short male and female; stems in transverse section of a cortical layer of 10-12 large cells two or more times the diameter of the many small cells of the medulla, the walls brown. Rhizoids scattered on the ventral side of the stem, short brownish. Leaf insertion sublongitudinal. Leaves subquadrate, 0.5-0.7 mm long, to 0.5 mm wide, plane, tending to be retuse, the upper (postical) base cordate by a few cells, sometimes with a suggestion of a tooth above the base, the margins crenulate, the lower base straight; leaf cells large, those of the margin mostly 39-45 µ long, 65 µ wide, those of the upper part of the leaf 45-65 X 45-50 µ, the walls uniformly thickened, yellow-brown, the trigones minute, the cuticle coarsely roughened; all cells more or less opaque from the numerous dense yellow-brown bands closely placed over the surface. Underleaves absent. Plants dioicous. Male inflorescence terminal becoming intercalary on the stem or rarely on a short ventral branch, the bracts in 3-5 series, nearly as large as the leaves, incurved and forming a large pouch on the dorsal side of the stem; bracteoles absent. Female inflorescence on a short ventral branch, the bracts and bracteoles in about 4 series, the bracts of the outer series bifid, of the innermost series tri- or quadrifid to one-half their length, each segment often with 1 lateral tooth, the bracteoles smaller, oblong undivided or bifid. Perianth long, cylindrical below, 3-keeled above, the wall of one, in places of two, layers of cells, the mouth contracted, setulose. Sporophyte not seen.

  • Distribution

    Habitat: Moist bases of sandstone cliffs.

    Venezuela South America|