Sematophyllum subsimplex (Hedw.) Mitt.
-
Authority
Buck, William R. 2003. Guide to the plants of central french Guiana. Part 3. Mosses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76: 1-167.
-
Family
Sematophyllaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Species Description - Plants slender, in ± lustrous, silky, pale to grayish green, often extensive, thin mats; stems dark-red, to ca. 8 cm long but mostly ca. 3-4 cm, freely and often ± regularly pinnately branched, the branches wide-spreading, short, somewhat complanate- foliate. Leaves erect- to wide-spreading, not at all homomallous, lanceolate-ovate to ovate, gradually acuminate, occasionally the apices twisted in stem leaves, somewhat concave, stem leaves 0.65-1.3 x 0.2-0.4 mm, branch leaves 0.55-0.95 x 0.2-0.4 mm. margins entire or serrulate above, entire below, plane or recurved, costa short and double or absent; cells linear to linear-flexuose, 50-125 x 3-7 µm, usually smooth, rarely unipapillose, thick- walled, often porose, not shorter in the acumen; alar cells enlarged inflated, usually deeply colored across the insertion, oval to oblong, 5-10 times as large as the subquadrate cells above them. Asexual propagula none. Autoicous. Setae 1.0-1.8 cm long; capsules horizontal to pendent, asymmetric, ovoid, 0.8-1.3 mm long.
-
Discussion
After considerable study I have decided to synonymize Trichosteleum intricatum with this widespread, weedy lowland species. The only difference that I can find is that material referred to T. intricatum has fairly conspicuous unipapillose, upper laminal cells. However, almost every specimen of S. subsimplex that I have examined closely has at least some leaves with a few papillae over the upper laminal cells. These are really only visible in profile and since it is difficult to get a profile view of the upper part of the lamina due to the concavity of the leaf, they are not readily observed. I consider this a parallel situation to the synonymy of Acroporium guianense with the widespread A. pungens.
-
Distribution
In non-flooded moist forests, common, 200-300 m, typically on rotten wood with Leucobryum martianum, less often on tree bases or epiphytic.
French Guiana South America|