Sphagnum aciphyllum Müll. Hal.

Costa, Denise Pinheiro Da, 2018, New synonyms for Brazilian Sphagnaceae, Subgenus Acutifolia (Bryophyta), Phytotaxa 347 (4), pp. 292-296 : 293-295

1. Sphagnum aciphyllum Müll. Hal. , Flora 70: 419. 1887 ( Müller 1887). Type:— BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: colonia

Blumenau, 1874, E. Odebrech s.n. (holotype H!). Fig. 1 (A–F)

Sphagnum oxyphyllum Warnst., Hedwigia 29: 192. 1890 (Warnstorf 1890). Type:— BRAZIL. Tubarão, Serra Geral, E. Ule s.n., 1890 (holotype B!), syn. nov.

Sphagnum uleanum Müll. Hal. , Flora 70: 416. 1887 (Müller 1897). Type:— BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: in pandanos da ilha de São Francisco, Oct 1884, E. Ule 9 (holotype B, isotypes JE, PC!), syn. nov.

Sphagnum itatiaiae Müll. Hal. & Warnst., Hedwigia 36: 146. 1897 (Müller 1897). Type:— BRAZIL. Serra de Itatiaia, 2000–2300 m, Mar 1894, E. Ule 1741, 1742 (syntypes 1742 B, CHR, LE!, M!), syn. nov.

Sphagnum cucullatum Warnst., Bot. Centralb. 76: 417. 1898 ( Warnstorf 1898). Type:— BRAZIL. Rio Grande do Sul: São Leopoldo, Hamburger Berg, 22 Nov 1892, C.A.M. Lindmann 126 (holotype herb. Brotherus H-BR, isotype R!), syn. nov.

Sphagnum triporosum H.A. Crum, Fragm. Florist. Geobot. 40: 173. 1995 ( Crum 1995). Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: PARNA Itatiaia, Agulhas Negras, waldfreie Hohenkamps, 2300–2800 m, 24 Jul 1977, J.P. Frahm 1834 (holotype MICH!, isotype NY!), syn. nov.

Plants relatively robust, slender, growing in dense mats, reddish, pinkish or brownish, rarely green or yellowish. Stem leaves 0.8–2.2 mm long, broadly triangular to oblong-triangular, apex abruptly pointed, concave-cuspidate, abruptly broad-bordered at base; leucocysts efibrillose to weakly fibrillose above, largely resorbed on both surfaces, with pore-like and membrane gaps on both surfaces. Branches in fascicles of 3–6 (1–3 pending and 2–3 ascending). Branch leaves wide-spreading, 1.0– 2.2 mm long, lanceolate, slender-acuminate; leucocysts with 2–7 elliptic, ringed pores at ends and commissures on the outer surface, commonly in 3’s at adjacent angles, and without pores or with 1–3 large pores at margins on the inner surface; chlorocysts in cross section broadly triangular or triangular-trapezoidal narrowly exposed on the outer surface, leucocysts strongly convex on the outer surface and moderate or nearly plane on the inner surface.

Distribution and ecology: tropical America ( Crum 1987). In Brazil, occurs in the Amazon Forest, Restinga, Atlantic Rainforest, Savanna (Gallery Forest), and Campo Rupestre, growing on humid rocks and soil, at base of waterfalls, or on wet banks along stream margins, 0–2800 m ( Table 1).

Discussion: The study of the type collection of Sphagnum oxyphyllum revealed that the stem leaves are strongly and abruptly bordered below; the leucocysts of branch leaves are strongly convex on the outer surface, and more numerous toward the leaf margins. This species is similar in many ways to S. aciphyllum , with the same type locality, geographical distribution, and altitudinal range in Brazil; all of the characteristics cited above for S. aciphyllum are present in S. oxyphyllum , so that the latter being is considered here as being a new synonym.

Müller (1887) described Sphagnum uleanum based on a collection from Santa Catarina State, Insel São Francisco, Oct 1884, E. Ule 9 (Holotype B, Isotypes JE, PC!). Studies of the isotype from PC showed that all the morphological characteristics observed are included in the characteristic observed in S. aciphyllum , a species described in the same paper and for the same locality; it is therefore synonymized here.

Warnstorf (1897) described Sphagnum itatiaiae , commenting that the plants are reddish or pinkish, with 5–6 branches per fascicle, the stem leaves oblong-triangular and concave, apex cuspidate, and the leucocysts resorbed on the inner surface. It is an endemic species cited for Rio de Janeiro State (Itatiaia), Rio Grande do Sul State (Cambará do Sul), and Minas Gerais State (Caparaó). All the morphological characteristics observed in the syntype are included among the characteristic observed in S. aciphyllum , so that S. itatiaiae is considered here as being a new synonym.

Andrews (1947) considered S. itatiaiae a synonym of S. sparsum , although in the latter the plants are reddish or pink (not green to pink), with 4–6 branches per fascicle (not 4), the stem leaves broadly oblong-triangular (not oblong-lingulate to triangular-ovate) and abruptly concave-cuspidate at the tip (not concave-acute), with the leucocysts efibrillose (not fibrillose); I therefore considered S. sparsum a valid species.

Warnstorf (1898) described S. cucullatum , commenting that this species is a variant of S. uleanum , here synonymyzed with S. aciphyllum . All the morphological characteristics observed in S. cucullatum are included in the characteristic observed in S. aciphyllum , so that the former it considered here as being a new synonym.

Crum (1995) described S. triporosum , commenting that the plants have leaves ranked, the stem and branch leaves are similar in length (about 2 mm long), the stem leaves are oblong and concave-pointed, with leucocysts fibrillose in the upper half or more, with elliptic, ringed pores on the outer surface, and numerous round, pore-like membrane gaps on the inner surface. The branches are in fascicles of 3–4 and the branch leaves have elliptic, ringed pores in 2’s or 3’s at adjacent angles on the outer surface and none on the inner. Crum (inedit) comments that it is possible a synonym of S. oxyphyllum , a species being synonymized here with S. aciphyllum . Until now only the type collection of S. triporosum is known, and all of its morphological characteristics included in the characteristic observed in S. aciphyllum , so that the former is considered here as being a new synonym.

2. Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw., Fund. Hist. Nat. Musc. Frond. 2: 86. 1782 (Hedwig 1782). Basionym:— Sphagnum palustre var. capillifolium Ehrh., Hannover. Mag. 18: 235. 1780 ( Ehrhart 1780). Type:—Europe (lectotype by Flatberg (1983) BM!). Fig. 1 (G–L) Sphagnum pulvinatum H.A. Crum, Cryptog. Bryol. Lichénol. 6: 183. 1985 ( Crum 1985). Type: — Venezuelan-Brazilian Frontier, Cerro de la Neblina, terrestrial in swamp savanna, Planície de Zuloaga, Rio Titirico, 2300 m, 10–15 Oct 1970, J.A. Steyermark 103911

(holotype MICH, isotype NY!), syn. nov.

Plants slender to robust, growing in cushions, reddish or greenish. Stem leaves 1.0– 1.8 mm long, oblong, lingulate to lingulate-triangular, apex acute, concave-pointed, margins weakly broadened at base; leucocysts fibrillose on the outer surface, with scattered to many pores and membrane gaps, on the inner surface mostly resorbed; strong border sometimes occupying the entire leaf. Branches in fascicles of 3–4 (1–2 pending and 2 ascending). Branch leaves wide-spreading, 1.0– 1.5 mm long, narrow, ovate-lanceolate, apex involute-pointed and toothed; leucocysts with several large, ringed, elliptic pores on the outer surface, and 2–5 pores at cells end on the inner surface, mainly toward the base; chlorocysts in cross section triangular to trapezoidal, broadly exposed on the inner surface, leucocysts moderate to strongly convex on the outer surface and nearly plane on the inner surface.

Distribution and ecology: widespread throughout the world ( Crum 1984, 1989, 1990). In Brazil, it occurs in the Amazon Forest, Atlantic Rainforest, Savanna, and Restinga, and Campo Rupestre, on moist soils, in swamps, along stream and lake margins, or on wet soils in Restinga and Campo Rupestre, 0–2400 m ( Table 1).

Discussion: According to Crum (1985), S. pulvinatum shows the same characteristics as S. capillifolium , a common species in Brazil, being characterized by the stem leaves oblong and acute, with leucocysts largely resorbed on both surfaces, and a strong border sometimes occupying the entire leaf; and the branch leaves narrow, being the unique feature used by the author to characterize this species, the strong border occupying the entire leaf. Based on these characteristics, S. pulvinatum is reduced here to a synonym of S. capillifolium .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sphagnum aciphyllum Müll. Hal. A. Fascicle.B. Stem leaves.C. Branch leaves. D. Cells of branch leaf outer surface. E. Cells of branch leaf inner surface. F. Section of branch leaf (A–C based on E. Ule 9, PC and D–F based on J.-P. Frahm 1834, MICH). Sphagnum capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw. G. Stem leaf. H. Branch leaves. I. Cells of branch leaf outer surface. J. Cells of branch leaf inner surface. K. Section of branch leaf. L. Fascicle (G–L based on J.A. Steyermark 103911, NY). lllustrations by Maria Alice de Rezende.