The Bryologist 102(4), pp. 619-622 Copyright ? 1999 by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society, Inc.
Orthotrichum
handiense,
sp. nov. from Fuerteventura,
Canary Islands
FRANCISCO LARA AND VICENTE MAZIMPAKA
Departamento de Biologia (Botanica), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Aut6noma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, E28049 Madrid, Spain; e-mail:
[email protected],
[email protected] RICARDO GARILLETI
Departamento de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Villaviciosa de Od6n, E-28670 Madrid, Spain; e-mail:
[email protected] MONTSERRAT BRUGUES
Botanica, Facultat de Ciences, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain; e-mail: m.brugues @uab.es
Abstract. A new epiphytic moss, Orthotrichum handiense F. Lara, Garilleti, & Mazimpaka, is described from the Jandia Peninsula (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain). The new species is included in section Pulchella Vent. and characterized by robustness, lanceolate leaves with recurved margins, immersed capsules, stomata cryptopore located in the neck, well developed prostome, peristome of 16 teeth and 16 segments, and calyptra and vaginula densely covered with slightly papillose hairs. Drawings and SEM micrographs of the main characters are given, and possible confusion with other taxa is discussed.
During spring 1992, one of the authors (M. Brugues) collected bryophytes in the mountainous area of the Jandia Peninsula, from the extreme south of Fuerteventura Island, in the eastern part of the Canarian Archipelago. One of the epiphytic samples collected from the beautiful shrub Asteriscus sericeus (L. fil.) DC. corresponds to the moss described here, a robust Orthotrichum that has an exclusive set of characters differentiating it easily from any other member of the genus. The Jandia Peninsula that gives its name to the new moss, is an area that comprises a phanerogamic flora rich in local endemics; namely, the Zarza Peak (the highest peak) is the locus classicus of, among others, Bupleurum handiense Bolle, Echium handiense Svent., Ononis christii Bolle, and Argyranthemum winteri (Svent.) Humphries. Asteriscus sericeus itself is endemic to the isle, and the most characteristic plant of the Jandia summits, where it forms the dominant scrub. Its occurrence indicates the potential area of the ancient lauroid wood, which is nowadays represented by residual, small trees like Visnea mocanera. L. fil., Maytenus canariensis (Loes.) Kunkel & Sund., and Apollonias barbujana (Cav.) Bornm. The occurrence of lauroid wood (a xeric variant of the Canarian laurisilva), as well as that of the epiphytes that grow on the shrubs, is made possible
by fog persistence
and
horizontal precipitation owing to trade winds, however the annual rainfall average is very low around 250-400 mm (Santos, pers. comm.). At present, the Jandia peninsula is considered a natural
area under protection of the Canarian government, but it is actually subjected to strong and uncontrolled grazing pressure, mainly by goats. Only two Orthotrichum species are known from Fuerteventura - 0. affine Brid. and 0. diaphanum Brid.; both reported by Dirkse et al. (1993) on the basis of Malme's (1988) original records. Both species were found occurring on Asteriscus sericeus, but our gatherings from this shrub at Zarza peak contained only 0. diaphanum and the moss described as new here. ORTHOTRICHUM HANDIENSE F. Lara, Garilleti
Mazimpaka, sp. nov.
&
FIGS. 1-15
Planta robusta, ramosa, filidiis lanceolatis acutis vel acuminatis, marginibus variabiliter recurvatis cellulibusque cum papillis humilibus. Capsulae ellipticae, immersae vel vix emergentes, minute sulcatae, stomatis cryptoporis in collo sitis; prostoma praesens, exostoma 16 dentibus longis papilloso-striatisque, endostoma 16 segmentis linearibus, longis papillosisque, membrana connectivali continua; vaginula et calyptra abundantibus pilis longis paulo papillosisque obtectae. TYPE: SPAIN, CANARY
ISLANDS.
FUERTEVEN-
TURA.Pico de la Zarza, 760 m elev., UTM grid 28RES60, epiphyte on Asteriscus sericeus. M. Brugues, May 1992. (BCB,holotype; MAand Universidad Aut6noma de Madrid herbarium isotypes). Plants robust, 1-2 cm tall, foliose and branched, olive-green or brown, with rhizoids restricted to lower part, in 3 cm cushions. Leaves erect to erectpatent when dry, upper ones with somewhat flexuose points; erect-patent to patent when moist; 3.0-
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1. Moss habit. 2. Leaves. - 3. Calyptra. -4. FIGURES1-9. Orthotrichum handiense. Capsule with Upper leaf cells. operculum. - 5. Capsule during sporeling. - 6. Leaf ape:x. - 7. Leaf transverse sections. -8. - 9. Basal leaf cells. Drawing scales: Fig. 1: 2 mm; Fig 2: 1 mm; Fig. 3-5: 700 (Jm; Fig. 6: 100 VLm;Fig. 7-8 and 9: 70 ILm.
4.0 mm long, lanceolate, with acute to acuminate apex; margins recurved from base to 2/3 leaf length (sometimes a bit more), generally with one margin more broadly recurved than other, entire or somewhat sinuose towards the apex; costa thin not reaching apex, prominent when dry. Basal cells shortly rectangular, (10)15-32(40) X (7)9-12(14) with walls somewhat thickened and, in old Lmm, leaves, + nodulose, smooth or with low and blunt
papillae in the upper and lower cell border. Upper
cells rounded or shortly ovate, (11)12-15(22) X (8)10-13(15) Ipm, with (1)2(3) low and blunt papillae, sometimes bifurcate from base. Brood bodies not seen. Gonioautoicous. Sporophytes immersed or scarcely emergent, with seta to 0.3 mm long, capsules 1.5-2.1 mm long, suddenly contracted to seta; when mature pale-brown, short- or longelliptic and with 8 scarcely prominent ribs; when
LARA ET AL.: ORTHOTRICHUMHANDIENSE
1999]
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p I FIGURES 10-15. Orthotrichum handiense, SEM micrographs. - 10. Capsule after sporeling. - 11. Mature capsule Ornamentation of the basal and median portions of the exostomial PPL. -13. just after operculum fall. -12. Ornamentation of the basal portion of the OPL. -14. Apical zone of a twisted tooth, showing the OPL (proximal zone on the right side of the photograph) and PPL (on the left side of the photograph) ornamentation. -15. Detail of endostomial segment, showing the ornamentation of the external side (PPL); a spore is visible in the internal basal part of the segment; a pattern of papillose lines of the basal exostome PPL is also visible in the figure background.
old and empty, shortly cylindric with 8 well marked ribs. Exothecial bands scarcely visible, with 4-6 rows of scarcely differentiated cells, from mouth to half-capsule. Stomata cryptopore, numerous and restricted to capsule neck, from half immersed to completely covered by surrounding exothecial cells. Peristome double; prostome usually present, dense and coarsely papillose, formed by a continuous cell row at the exostome base in cases of minor development, though reaching 2/3 tooth length in some specimens. Exostome of 16 teeth, sometimes united in pairs at base before maturity, pale yellow, very long (270-350 u.m), recurved and touching capsule, irregularly twisted; ornamentation of the lower OPL third consisting of very low reticle from which numerous papillae protrude; the upper OPL 2/3with a pattern of papillose (papillosity progressively denser towards the tooth apex) and
longitudinally disposed striae. The lower third of exostomial PPL with parallel striae longitudinally or somewhat obliquely disposed, with simple papillae intercalated; the upper 2/3 with high, simple, and densely disposed papillae. Endostome of 16 pale segments as high as teeth, linear, slightly sinuose, uniseriate and minutely appendiculate. Endostomial PPL with striae and thick, blunt, and densely disposed papillae; IPL densely papillose; connective membrane continuous, with an upper row of more hyaline cells densely ornamented by thin papillae. Operculum convex and mamillate, yellowish, with margin slightly orange. Vaginula with abundant, long, and almost smooth hairs. Calyptra oblong-conic, slightly plicate, with hairs ? long, thin, and scarcely papillose, more abundant towards apex. Spores brown, papillose, 18-23 Ixm. Discussion.-Occurrence
of cryptopore
stomata
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THE BRYOLOGIST
together with the connective membrane and the recurving of dry exostome teeth suggest inclusion of Orthotrichum handiense in the subgenus Pulchella (Schimp.) Vitt. On the other hand, if we consider the infra-subgeneric division proposed by Lewinsky (1993) - although questioned by recent results (Lewinsky-Haapasaari & Hedenas 1998) - several characters justify its inclusion in section Pulchella Schimp: 1) presence of a prostome that is sometimes well developed, 2) large exostome teeth splitting to 16 after the operculum fall, 3) ornamentation of the exostomial PPL (lower half) with predominance of longitudinal lines (Figs. 12, 15), 4) endostome of 16 linear segments and having the same length as the teeth, and 5) ornamented endostomial PPL (Fig. 15). The status of the new moss is not taxonomically problematic since it has a set of unique characters that separate it from any other member of the section. When superficially observed; however, Orthotrichum handiense may be confused with other Orthotrichum species, since it has some conspicuous characters that are found separately in other taxa. As an example, its robust and branched habit and immersed capsules resemble those of 0. acuminatum Philib., which differs in its peculiar peristome (Lara et al. 1999) and phaneropore stomata. Nevertheless, careful examination is required when dealing with other cryptopore species, especially those having hairy calyptrae and vaginulae. When 0. handiense is observed just after operculum detachment and still having teeth erect (Fig. 11), it can be easily confused with O. urnigerum Myr., a mainly saxicolous moss belonging to subgenus Orthotrichum, which like 0. handiense has a prostome. Several peristome characters
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help to differentiate these two species, especially the connective membrane and ornamentation. It may also be confused with 0. stramineum Hornsch. (subgenus Pulchella, section Diaphana Vent.), which, like the new moss, has hairy calyptra and vaginula as well as cryptopore stomata confined to the lower part of the capsule. However, 0. stramineum is well differentiated from 0. handiense in a number of characters - smaller size, papillose hairs, lack of prostome, and peristome with 8 pairs of teeth not tending to split. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are grateful to Arnoldo Santos Guerra for providing ecological and biogeographical data of the locality of the new moss, and to Anna Barr6n for the figure drawings. This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture, projects PB96-1111-C02-01 and PB97-1046. LITERATURECITED 1993. DIRKSE,G. M., A. C. BOUMAN& A. LOSADA-LIMA. Bryophytes of the Canary Islands, an annotated checklist. Cryptogamie, Bryologie-Lichenologie 14: 1-47. 1999. Ortho& R. GARILLETI. LARA,F, V. MAZIMPAKA trichum acuminatum in the Canary Islands. Journal of Bryology 21: 75. J. 1993. A synopsis of the genus Orthotrichum LEWINSKY, Hedw. (Musci, Orthotrichaceae) Bryobrothera 2: 159. J. & L. HEDENAS.1998. A claLEWINSKY-HAAPASAARI, distic analysis of the moss genus Orthotrichum. THE 101: 519-555. BRYOLOGIST MALME,L. 1988. Distribution of bryophytes on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote Islands. Sommerfeltia 7: 1-549.
ms. received Nov. 3, 1998; accepted May 17, 1999.
