Calomnion milleri Vitt

• Region

  Oceania

• Country

  Australia

• Locality

  Lord Howe Island, Mt. Lidgbird: On SSE slope, just E of Goat House Cave.

• Elevation

  Alt. 450 m. (1476 ft.)

• Coordinates

  -31.57, 159.1

• Distribution

  Map all specimens of this taxon

f
Volume 1
Number 2
1991
NOVON
m
A' New Species of Calomnion (Bryopsida) from Lord Howe Island
Dale//. l ilt
Department of Botany, The University of Alberta* Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G
Calomnum is small germs of mosses of about a
half dozen species that is restricted to the South
Pacific and Australasia. Calomnion cmnpkimitum
(Hook. f. & Wits.) Lmdb. {*** C, Imtum Hook, L &
Wits,, illegitimate, earlier species included) is re-
ported from New Zealand and Australia, C. denti-
culaturn Mitt, is known from Samoa, C. sekistos-
tegiellum (Besch.) Wijk 8? Marg, is known from
tile Society Islands, and (7. melnnesicum ffv A*
Miller has recently been described from Vanuatu
and Fiji. Tire genus is defined by the following fea-
tures! simple stems with terminal sex organs fac-
rocarpy), dimorphic leaves in three ranks, highly
differentiated perichaetial leaves, erect capsules* and
the complete absence of a peristome. From Rhi~
zogonium sensu stricto, with which it shares many
characters, it is distinguished by erect capsules and
lack of a peristome. The leaves never possess a
margin defined by a border of elongate cells as do
some species of Rkizogottiuni. Species of Cntom-
nion are found almost exclusively on tree fern trunks
that are heavily matted with adventitious roots.
During 1981, collections of bryophy uss from Lord
Howe Island (3!*30'S, 159*05%) made by Helen
Ramsay and myself included several specimens that
represent a new species of Calmnmoti, here de-
scribed as new to science.
îunilo-quadraîae, iaeves, Perichaetia terminaba; folia 4.0
5*0 mm longa, fiexuosa subulata; costa longe excurrente.
Flores dioici. Setae 0.8“ LO mm longae. Capsula« 1.2
1.4 mm tonga«, eylindrkae, erecta«, laeves, immersa« «
Peristommm milium. Calyptrae cuculiatile.
Calomnion ixtillert Vitt, sp. nov. TYPE; Lord
Howe Island. E slope of Mt. Lidgbird, SE of
Goat House Cave on montane slope, 21 Nov.
1981, Vitt 28?39 (holotype, ALT A; tsotypes,
NY, NSW). Figures ML
Planta« aureo-virides, ad 1.0 cm alta«, folia dimerpha*
oblonga, acuminata, aristata, margine inerassata, integra:
co*ta exclurent«; cellulae superiores 6-8 firn lata«, ro*
Plants small, delicate, up to 1.0 cm brig, shiny,
golden green, in dense mats on tree fern trunks.
Sterns erect from persistent protonemata, simple,
terminated by perigonia or perichaetia. Leaves along
proximal region of stents small, lanceolate, acumi-'.
nate, monoraorphic, loosely erect-spreading; leaves
along distal portions of stems larger, dimorphic, in
three distinct ranks; dorsal ranks of leaves somewhat
erect-falcate to erect-deflexed when dry, erect when
moist, i. 11.3 mm long, oblong to narrowly ovate-
oblong, acuminate, stoutly aristate, ventral rank of
leave.» erect when dry, 0.7-0.8 mm long, ovate to
obovate, acuminate, cuspidate; margins entire,
thickened and appearing revolute; costa strong, sin-
gle, excurrent and filling the arista or cusp; upper
cells 6 8 fim wide, rounded-quadrate, thick-walled,
smooth, unistratoee except at margins, there the
marginal 2-4 rows distinctly bistratose forming a
strongly differentiated birder; basal cells rounded -
quadrate to shortly elliptic-rectangular, thick-walled,
smooth; alar cells undifferentiated. Perichaetial leaves
loosely erect, strongly differentiated from vegetative
‘leaves, 4,0“-5.0 mm long, linear to linear-lanceolate,
subulate to long-acuminate; perigonial leaves loosely
erect, strongly differentiated from vegetative leaves,
2.1 “2,3 mm long, subulate from an ovate, sheath-
ing, expanded base. Dioicous, Setae 0.8-1.0 mm
long, erect, smooth; capsules 1.2 1.4 mm long,
cytindric, smooth, erect, immersed, sometimes
slightly wider in lower portion; exotheeial cells 12"
pm wide, 18“ 50 pm long, rounded*rectangular
Hmm I: 53-55. 1991.
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