Barbula tortuosa

Maier, Eva & Price, Michelle J., 2014, Georg Bojung “ Scato ” Lantzius-Beninga and his contributions on the anatomy of moss capsules: a transliteration from the original German texts, Boissiera 67, pp. 1-79 : 33-34

Barbula tortuosa

and fallax .

There are also sixteen peristome cells, which in the lower part of the peristome are regularly strongly thickened, forming a longer or shorter ring-like connected “membrane”. Somewhat higher, the membrane on the inner side of the capsule remains thickened. Higher up the thickening is divided into two lines or two cords for each cell; see the figure of the transverse section of the capsule of Barbula tortuosa , cut slightly obliquely, m the lower, n the upper part, Tab. LVIII. Fig. 8 .

In some cases instead of two, three thickened cords per cell can be seen, often they are so strong that the lumen is completely filled.

[original page 572]

Sometimes one can see the separating lines of the different layers (see Tab. LVIII. Fig. 9 . of Barbula fallax , pp). The outermost layer consists of regularly deposited wart-like knobs, giving it a rough aspect, particularly at a low magnification.

The description makes it evident that after the release of the operculum the thickened cords form the peristome teeth, and, as in each of the sixteen peristome cells two cords appear, the number of the teeth is thirty-two. Occasionally two thickenings unite into one cord, some- times a cord divides in two so that from one big cell three cords come out (see Barbula fallax Tab. LVIII. Fig. 9. x and y ), in the first case the number of the teeth is reduced, in the second one, augmented. Both cases must be considered as exceptions.

The figures make it clear that in Barbula the membranes of the connecting smaller cells also participate in the formation of the cord, therefore the transverse section of each tooth has two halves, an outer and an inner one*); often the outer half is darker in colour than the inner one.

[original page 573]

The cells of the annulus (in this paper once and for all I will thus name those cells which are placed at the mentioned part of the capsule ignoring if the annulus is detaching or not) in Barbula fallax are flat and small, and, as well as the above situated epidermis cells, show very clearly the separating lines of the thickened layers of the exterior membrane (Tab. LVIII. Fig. 9 . ee).

Figures

Fig. 8. Part of a transverse section of a young capsule of Barbula tortuosa, magnification x 250, and

Fig. 9. of a mature capsule of Barbula fallax, magnification x 500. Further explanations are in the text.