Cheilolejeunea cuspidifera Bastos et al. (2016: 39)

Gil-Novoa, Jorge Enrique & Costa, Denise Pinheiro, 2023, Synopsis of the species of Cheilolejeunea (Marchantiophyta, Lejeuneaceae) in the Pacific dominion and Páramo province of tropical America, Phytotaxa 587 (2), pp. 73-120 : 86-89

8. Cheilolejeunea cuspidifera Bastos et al. (2016: 39) .

Type:—BRAZIL. Roraima, Caracaraí, Serra da Mocidade, elev. 600 m, epiphyte, in forest, 31 Jan. 2016, M.H.T. Araújo 1245 (holotype ALCB!; isotype INPA).—Fig. 7A–I.

Plants light brown, 0.7–1.0 mm wide. Stems in cross section 70–90 µm in diameter, 7 epidermal cells, 17–26 × 8.5– 13.5 µm; 10–11 medullary cells, 9–16 × 5–11 µm. Ventral merophytes 2 cells wide. Leaves subimbricate to slightly imbricate, ovate, convex, recurved at the apex, 440–460 × 310–315 µm; margin entire to more commonly dentate, with 2–6 teeth; apex acuminate, ending in a long tooth with 1−3 cells, dorsal margin straight to curved, ventral margin strongly curved; cells oblong, papillose on the dorsal side, conspicuous trigones, basal cells 23–36 × 15–20 µm, median cells 22–30 × 14–16 µm, marginal cells 12–18 × 10–12 µm. Lobules rectangular-ovate, inflated, 1/3 of leaf length, free margin involute, with two teeth, first tooth short and blunt, second tooth long, formed by 1(–2) long cells; keel strongly arched and papillose. Underleaves usually distant to contiguous, widely orbicular to ovate, 300–400 × 250–310 µm, 3 × stem width, bifid to 1/2, sinus in U-shaped, lobes cuspidate, ending in 2–3 cells, margin undulate, base slightly auriculate. Dioicous. Androecia on the main stem or in the base of branches, 3–7 pairs of bracts. According to Bastos et al. (2016), the gynoecia are terminal or on long branches, with pycnolejeuneoid innovations, bracts with obovate lobes, toothed near the acute-acuminate apex, lobules oblong-obovate, bracteoles obovate, margins toothed near the apex, bifid, sinus widely acute to lunulate. Perianth ellipsoid to obovate, 4-keeled, the keels crenulate, beak short.

Distribution and habitat:— Brazil ( Bastos et al. 2016), recorded here new to Colombia. This species grows on tree trunks, in lower montane rainforest, at 2050 m, in the Magdalena province of the Pacific dominion ( Fig. 8 ).

Notes:— The collection from Colombia consists of male plants, whereas the type is female. This confirms that the species is dioicous, as proposed by Bastos et al. (2016) .

The species is characterized by having leaves commonly dentate, with 2–6 teeth, apex acuminate, cells papillose, and underleaves bifid to 1/2 of the leaf length with cuspidate lobes. The species can be confused with species of genus Prionolejeunea , but the latter have crenulate margins (not with 2–6 teeth), sexuality autoicous (not dioicous), and perianths 2-keeled (not 4-keeled).

This species is recorded here for the second time after the original description by Bastos et al. (2016), and for the first time from Colombia. In Brazil, the species was encountered growing as an epiphyte along a fast-flowing creek, at ca. 600 m; in Colombia, it was found growing as an epiphyte in lower montane rainforest, at ca. 2050 m. Thus, with this record, the distribution range of the species has increased (from the Guyana Highlands to the Colombian Andes), together with a higher elevation range (600–2050 m) and occurs in different vegetation types (isolated mountains in the Guyana highlands, in northern Amazonia to lower montane rainforests in the Magdalena province). Although we predict that this species will be found in Venezuela and other areas of the Amazon forest, here we consider this species as rare, since it has only been recorded for two localities, and is considered here as Data Deficient-new (DD-n) ( Sérgio et al. 2007, UCN 2001)

Specimens examined:— COLOMBIA. Tolima: Villa Rica , epífito en bosque denso alto de tierra firme, 03°45’04.3’’N, 74°38’22.1’’W, 2050 m, 18 November 2018, Arias 333 ( HT, UPTC) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Distribution of Cheilolejeunea cuspidifera, C. discoidea, and C. erostrata in Pacific dominion and Páramo province.