Macromitrium orthostichum Nees ex Schwaegr.

Thouvenot, Louis, 2019, A review of the genus Macromitrium Brid. (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta) in New Caledonia, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (16), pp. 167-217 : 197

Macromitrium orthostichum Nees ex Schwaegr.

Species Muscorum Frondosorum, Suppl. 4: 316, table 316a, fig

1-10 (1842).

ILLUSTRATIONS AND DESCRIPTION. — Dozy & Molkenboer (1859); Vitt et al. (1995).

DISTRIBUTION IN NEW CALEDONIA. — M. orthostichum was rarely found in New Caledonia.

TOTAL RANGE. — Tropical Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Melanesia, Philippine Islands, Tahiti (see Wilbraham 2016, for more details).

SELECTED SPECIMEN. — New Caledonia. Province Nord, Mt Panié, ad radices, II.1909, Le Rat s.n. PC[PC0721082]! (Herbarium Thériot, comm. Brotherus).

DESCRIPTION

Macromitrium orthostichum is close to M. pilosum with which it can easily be confused in sterile or immature conditions. Like this species, it is characterized by: 1) branches short, c. 5 mm long, funiculate, when dry, leaves erect appressed, incurved in upper part; 2) in wet conditions, branch leaves spreading squarrose recurved; 3) basal cells few, with many single papillae; 4) setae short, 2-4 mm long; and 5) peristome single. It can be separated from by: 1) vaginulae without conspicuous hairs; 2) setae verrucous; and 3) calyptrae shorter, covering half of the mature capsules, with many spreading hairs in basal part.