Cheilolejeunea comans (Spruce) Schuster (1980a: 431)

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

7. Cheilolejeunea comans (Spruce) Schuster (1980a: 431) .—

Lejeunea comans Spruce (1884: 246) .

Type:— VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Rio Negro, San Carlos, in arborum ramis, R. Spruce s.n. (MANCH!, lectotype designated by Gradstein 2021).— Fig. 4V –CC.

Plants yellowish green to brown, 0.8–0.9 mm wide. Stems in cross section 80–100 µm in diameter, 8 epidermal cells, 13–29 × 10–15 µm; 11–12 medullary cells, 12–18 × 7–10 µm. Ventral merophytes 2 cells wide. Leaves subimbricate, ovate to elongate, flat to slightly recurved at apex, 500–550 × 400–450 µm; margin entire, apex rounded to more commonly apiculate, dorsal and ventral margins curved. Cells with conspicuous trigones, principally on the leaf base; basal cells 17–26 × 11–16 µm, median cells 17–19 × 12–18 µm, marginal cells 9–13 × 7–12 µm, smooth to slightly mammillose on the dorsal side. Lobules small, 1/5–1/4 of leaf length, obovate to rectangular, free margin slightly involute, tooth short and prominent, formed by one cell long, keel slightly arched. Underleaves distant to subimbricate, orbicular to ovate, generally wider than long 280–300 × 300–320 µm, 3–4 × stem width, bifid to 1/3, V-shaped sinus, bases auriculate to cuneate. Monoicous or dioicous. Androecia with 3–5 pairs of bracts. Gynoecia with lejeuneoid innovations, bracts oblong, 450 × 600 µm, apex acute; lobule 250 × 100 µm, bracteole oblong 380 × 420 µm, bifid to 1/8. Perianth 5-keeled, keels stronger towards the apex, beak long. Vegetative reproduction unknown.

Distribution and habitat:—Neotropical, occurring in Jamaica, Panamá, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina ( Reiner-Drehwald 1998, Schäfer-Verwimp 2014). This species usually grows in the study area as an epiphyte on tree trunks, in lowland rainforest and lower montane rainforest, below 2000 m (Grastein 2021), in the Puntarenas-Chiriquí, Guajira, Venezuelan, and Magdalena provinces of the Pacific dominion. The record of C. comans occurring for the Páramo ( Fig. 6 ), actually belongs to the Cauca province.

Notes:—The species can be recognized by its medium to small size leaf cells (9–26 × 7–16 µm) with conspicuous trigones, underleaves large (generally 4 × stem width) with bases auriculate, perianth with 5 strong keels, and lejeuneoid innovations. The apices of the leaves vary from rounded to shortly apiculate and the underleaves from orbicular to ovate.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: S „ o Bento do Sul , 10 m, 25 July 2004, Berger 60 ( RB) . COLOMBIA. Antioquia: El Carmen de Viboral , 6°2’10.7”N, 75°13’39.4”W, 1628 m, 8 May 2016, Pérez 452 ( HUA) . Santander: Bolívar, La Hermosura, 06°08’05.9”N, 73°49’19.7”W, 1633 m, 20 October 2014, Gil-Novoa 2250b ( UPTC) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Cheilolejeunea asperrima A. Cladograph of fertile plants (open ellipse = gynoecia with perianth); B. Shoot section in ventral view; C. Ventral merophyte; D. Leaf and lobule; E. Lobule; F. Underleaf; G. Leaf lobe cells with distinct trigones. Cheilolejeunea aurifera H. Cladograph of fertile plants (solid ellipse = androecia, open ellipse = gynoecia with perianth); I. Shoot section in ventral view; J. Underleaf and merophyte; K. Leaf and lobule; L. Underleaf; M. Lobule; N. Leaf lobe cells. Cheilolejeunea beyrichii O. Cladograph of fertile plants (solid ellipse = androecia, open ellipse = gynoecia with perianth, U= gynoecia without perianth) P. Shoot section in ventral view; Q-R. Ventral merophyte; S. Lobule, T. Border leaf cells; U. Leaf lobe cells. Cheilolejeunea comans V-W. Cladographs of fertile plants (solid ellipse = androecia, open ellipse = gynoecia with perianth, U= gynoecia without perianth); X. Shoot section in ventral view; Y. Leaf and lobule, Z. Ventral merophyte; AA. Lobule, BB. Underleaf, CC. Leaf lobe cells.

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Cheilolejeunea beyrichii and C. comans in Pacific dominion and Páramo province.