Aulacopilum glaucum subsp. trichophyllum (Ångstr.) Pursell

Brinda, John C., He, Si, Atwood, John J., Magill, Robert E. & Reeb, Catherine, 2021, Notes on the bryophytes of Madagascar 5: new records from old collections, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (15), pp. 205-211 : 207

Aulacopilum glaucum subsp. trichophyllum (Ångstr.) Pursell

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Madagascar. Fianarantsoa: Patch of dry forest below large rock dome W of road between Ambalavao and Mankany, 14 km S of Ambalavao; 1050 m; 21°56’33”S, 46°56’09”E; 20.IX.1994; Magill & Pócs 12927A (MO[MO-6897760]!) & 12945 (MO[MO-6897759]!).

NOTES

Pursell (2017) reports this species from the nearby African countries of Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa. Both the type subspecies as well as subsp. trichophyllum have been reported from Africa. The plants reported here have hyaline tips at the apices of many leaves and simple annuli that are at least sometimes two cells wide. In our plants the terminal cells of the hyaline apices vary considerably in the degree of papillosity. They are usually noticeably smoother than the adjacent cells but less commonly completely smooth. These specimens do not appear to represent the extreme form of subspecies trichophyllum but still seem best placed there. Our uncertainty perhaps lends support to Pursell’s (2017) treatment of this taxon at the subspecific level. With the addition of the genus Aulacopilum to the flora, there are now four species of Erpodiaceae reported from the island. Pursell (2017) transferred all the Malagasy species from Erpodium to other genera in his revision of the family. If this classification is accepted, then the Malagasy species represent three different genera: Aulacopilum glaucum Wilson , Tricherpodium beccarii (Müll.Hal.) Pursell , Venturiella glaziovii (Hampe) Pursell , and V. madagassa (Paris & Renauld) Pursell.