Fuscocephaloziopsis biloba (Herzog) 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

    Fuscocephaloziopsis biloba (Herzog) Fulford

  • Description

    Species Description - Plants of medium size, coarse, yellow-green, prostrate in mats or creeping among other bryophytes; stems 1-2 cm long, with leaves, to 1.5 mm wide, irregularly pinnate, the branches rare or frequent, ventral-intercalary, leafy, occasionally short and bearing a female inflorescence. Stems somewhat flattened, with two or three dorsal rows of large cortical cells between the row of leaves; stem in transverse section brown, the cortical layer of about 10 very large cells surrounding the medulla of numerous smaller, thick-walled cells with trigones and narrow pits. Rhizoids numerous, from cells of the ventral side of the stem. Leaf insertion nearly longitudinal. Leaves widely spreading, slightly decurved, subimbricate, 1.0 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, broadly ovate, bilobed to one-fourth their length, the segments short-triangular, mostly erect, with conspicuously crenulate margins, the ventral base decurrent, the sinus lunulate, the dorsal margin convex above a straight base; cells of the upper part of the leaf 78-100 X 50-65 µ, the walls light brown, uniformly thickened, the trigones tiny, the cuticle smooth. Underleaves absent. Plants dioicous. Male inflorescence terminal on the stem or on a short ventral branch; bracts in to 10 or more pairs, similar to, and nearly as large as the leaves, ascendant, folded, pouched. Female inflorescence on a short branch, the bracts and bracteoles in 4-6 series, the innermost bracts quadrifid to nearly one-half their length. Perianth long, the mouth setulose and ciliate, the cilia to 4 cells long.

  • Discussion

    Alobiella biloba Herzog, Repert. Sp. Nov. 57: 166. f. 5, e-l. 1955.

  • Distribution

    Habitat: In mats on trunks of trees.

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