Lopholejeunea eulopha (Taylor) Steph.
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Authority
Thiers, Barbara M. & Gradstein, S. Robbert. 1989. Lejeuneaceae (Hepaticae) of Australia. I. Subfamily Ptychanthoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 52: 79 p.
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Family
Lejeuneaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Autoicous; plants to 3 cm long x 0.8-2.0 mm wide, dark brownish green to black in the dried condition, on bark or rock. Branching Lejeunea-type, growth habit deliquescent. Stems 130-180 µm in diam., in cross-section composed of 1214 epidermal cells surrounding 20 smaller medullary cells. Leaves diverging from stem at an angle of approx. 70-80°, imbricate, flattened, dorsal lobe asymmetrically oblong to ovate, sometimes distinctly falcate, 500-1000 x 400740 pm, apex obtusely rounded, margins entire, acroscopic margin straight to somewhat rounded at dorsal base, overlapping stem, basiscopic margin straight to arched; marginal cells of dorsal lobe quadrate to rectangular, 13-23 x 13-20 µm, cells of midportion isodiametric to oblong, 28-43 x 20-38 µm, cells of leaf base similar, leaf cells thin-walled, trigones small to large, intermediate thickenings sometimes present, small. Lobules ovoid, 150-300 x 100-200 µm, approx. 1/3 lobe length, strongly inflated proximally and basally, keel rounded, free margin inrolled proximally, flattened distally, with two marginal teeth, proximal tooth blunt, single-celled, barely differentiated, distal tooth 1-2-celled at extreme distal end of lobule, on reduced lobules barely differentiated or absent, sinus between distal tooth and attachment to lobe very short but rounded if distal tooth well developed, sinus straight and shallow if distal tooth reduced. Underleaves imbricate, orbicular to transversely oblong, occasionally reniform, varying greatly in width, 300380 to 450-1100 µm, 2-10 x stem width, apices rounded, margins entire, bases decurrent, insertion strongly arched. Gynoecia on long or short branches, bracts suberect to moderately spreading, bract lobes narrowly obovate, 1380-1800 x 300-650 µm, apex acute to acuminate, margins strongly dentate, bract lobules rectangular to ligulate, 800-1200 x 150 µm, apex acute, margins laciniate; bracteoles obovate, somewhat gibbous, 900-2500 x 850-1250 µm, margins dentate, apex often slightly emarginate, dentate. Perianths immersed to barely emergent, averaging 1000 x 700 µm, obovoid, keels four, extending almost entire perianth length, strongly laciniate in upper half. Androecia on long or short branches, composed of 4-10 pairs of bracts.
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution and habitat. This species is widely distributed in Asia and Africa, and has been collected rather frequently in Australia from the tropical rain forests of northern Queensland to the Sunshine Coast of southern Queensland, and in the subtropical rain forests of the Queensland-New South Wales border region.
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Discussion
Lejeunea eulopha Taylor, London J. Bot. 5: 391. 1846. Phragmicoma eulopha (Taylor) Mitt, in Seemann, FI. Vit. 413. 1873. Type. Pacific Is. Nightingale s.n. (holotype, FH; isotype, NY). Lejeunea fimbriata Gott. in F. v. Mueller, Fragm. ll(SuppL): 64. 1880. Lopholejeunea fimbriata (Gott.) Schiffn. in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 1(3): 129. 1895. Type. Australia. Rockingham’s Bay, F. von Mueller s.n. (lectotype [designated here], MEL). Lopholejeunea norfolkiensis Steph., Sp. Hepat. 5: 96. 1912. Type. Norfolk Is. Robinson s.n. & s.d. (holotype, G #17910). Lopholejeunea eulopha is a variable species in Australia and elsewhere. In very humid areas the plants tend to be quite large overall, the underleaves are much wider than long (often as wide as the lateral leaves are long), and the gynoecial bracts and bracteoles as well as the perianth are very strongly ornamented. In drier regions the plants are smaller, and the underleaves may be barely wider than long, and much smaller than lateral leaves (Fig. 8c), and the ornamentations in the gynoecium may be reduced. The laciniate margins of the gynoecial bract and bracteole, and the decurrent base of the underleaf are the most stable diagnostic characters.