Riccardia saccatiflora (Steph.) S.W.Arnell

Reeb, Catherine & Gradstein, Robbert, 2020, A taxonomic revision of Aneuraceae (Marchantiophyta) from eastern Africa with an interactive identification key, Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (2), pp. 11-34 : 30-31

Riccardia saccatiflora (Steph.) S.W.Arnell

( Fig. 4 P-T)

Aneura saccatiflora Steph. , Botanical Gazette 15: 282 (1890). — Type: Réunion, Rodriguez 186 (lecto-, fide Reeb & Bardat [2014], PC[PC102136]!; isolecto-, G[G00067576]!).

Aneura dismieri Steph. , Species Hepaticarum 6: 24 (1917). — Type: Madagascar ( Reeb & Bardat 2014).

Aneura papulosa Steph. , Species Hepaticarum 6: 36 (1917). nom. illeg. — Type: Seychelles ( Reeb & Bardat 2014 as synonym of R. obtusa ).

Riccardia obtusa S.W.Arnell, Botaniska Notiser 105: 142 (1952). — Type: Cape Province, Knysna, 28.XI.1951, Arnell 1602 (holotype, UPS; isotypes, BOL!, S-B20192!*) syn. nov.

Riccardia rhodesiae S.W.Arnell., Botaniska Notiser 105: 150 (1952). — Type: Zimbabwe ( Reeb & Bardat 2014).

FURTHER SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Cameroon. Buea, 13.VII.1891, Dusén 251, as Aneura caespitans (BM-00167935, G00067548).

Comores. Karthala, 1600 m, 01. V.2008, Bardat KarP1 Q 2Li1* ( PC 0763849).

Madagascar. Alaotra-Mangoro, Vohimana Reserve, 18°55’15.86”S, 48°30’55.76”E, 782 m, 28. VI.2012, Reeb MTV1211* ( PC 0763881 A, TAN), 18°55’13.1”S, 48°30’57.1”E, 789 m, 28. VI.2012, Reeb MTV1220 ( PC 0763875), MTV1221* ( PC 0763880, TAN), 18°55’43.6”S, 48°29’56.6”E, 849 m, 30. VI.2012, Reeb MTV1235* ( PC 0763886, TAN); Alaotra-Mangoro, Zahamena Reserve, 17°38’19”S, 48°36’46.3E, 1156 m, 28.XII.2013, Reeb CR 13 Z 26 * ( PC 0763870), CR 13 Z 27 * ( PC 0763871), 17°38’25”S 48°38’21E, 1100 m, 29.XII.2013, Reeb CR 13 Z 40 * ( PC 0763867), 17°38’22.7”S 48°38’45.3, 1294 m, 30.XII.2013, Reeb CR 13 Z 57 * ( PC 0763866); Analamanga, Angavokely Reserve, 18°55’12.8”S 47°44’29.3E, 1470 m, 31. I.2011, Reeb CR 11142 * ( PC 0763883).

Malawi. Mulanje Mt., 15°56’09”S, 35°31’02”E, 980 m, 30. VI.1991, Wigginton M 1758 B * ( E 00430531), 15°52’50”S, 35°36’36”E, 1800 m, 23. VI.1991, O’Shea M 7409 A * ( E 00430479).

Mauritius. Black River Gorges Nat. Park, 20°24.5’S, 57°27.5’E, 540 m, 07.VIII.1996, Pócs 9667/ F * ( EGR); Mt. Cocotte, 700 m, 08.X.1962, Een M 064 (S-B7132).

Réunion. 13 km W of St. Anne, 021°4’35”S, 55°37’10”E, 520- 800 m, 30.VIII.1994, Orban 9436/ T * ( G 00264122, EGR); Cirque de Salazie, 21°03’00”S, 55°32’00”E, 1550-1800 m, 01.IX.1994, Vojko 9438 / CF* ( EGR); Langevin Valley, 21°17’05”S, 55°38’05”E, 550-850 m, 20.VIII.1996, Pócs 9686/X* ( G 00264118, EGR); Forêt de Tévelave, 1470 m, 27.IV.2011, Bardat TEV.1* ( PC 0763865).

Tanzania. Uluguru Mts., Bondwa Peak, 1900-2000 m, VIII-X /1969 Pócs 6011/ S, 6011 T; 6011/ I, 6051/AG ( EGR), 1400 m, 13.XII.1970, Jones 1210 ( EGR).

Uganda. Ruwenzori Nat. Park, 2100 m, 01.II.1997, Porley U 554 C * ( E 00430545), 22°00” S, 29°59’00”E, 2080 m, 02.II.1997, Wigginton U 8053 B * ( E).

DISTRIBUTION. — Cameroon, East Africa, South Africa and Indian Ocean Islands.

HABITAT. — Often on rock, sometimes on bark or, at highest elevations, on soil, always in humid evergreen forests and usually in or near river beds, from 540 to over 2000 m.

DESCRIPTION

Monoicous (autoicous or paroicous) or dioicous ( R. obtusa ).

Thallus

Fleshy, green to black green, convex with incurved branches when dry, dull to glossy, to 20 mm long, main axis closely attached to the substrate, branches arising upwards, branching 1-2-pinnate in the lower half of the thallus and palmate in the upper half, branches alternate to subopposite, reiterations present, flagelliform branches occasional, stolons frequent.

Main axis

Well-defined, 100-420 µm wide, in cross section biconvex to plano-convex at the base, 5-8 cells high, biconvex to plano-convex or concave-convex in the middle, 5-7 cells high, margins acute, of 1-2 rows of bulging cells, not clearly winged, often asymmetrical, epidermis cells more than 5× smaller than inner cells.

Primary branches

To 7 mm long, crowded and often overlapping, angles with the axis variable.

Ultimate branches

Crowded, oblong, sometimes tongue-shaped, 600-1500 µm long, 250-400(-650) µm wide, in cross-section plano-convex to concave-convex, 4-5(-7) cells thick, with 2-3(-4) cells wide wings, epidermis cells 2-4 × smaller than inner cells, margins irregularly undulate, apex widened, rounded to truncate to emarginate to dissected, without overlapping edges, with numerous multi-apical areas. Mucilage papillae apical and ventral. Oil bodies ( Meenks & Pócs 1985) dark brown, present in epidermis cells.

Sexual branches

Usually grouped, lateral to ventro-laterally inserted.

Male branches

Mainly sessile, 300-500(-900 µm) long, with 2-3 cells wide scale-like wings, the wings narrowed than the axis, antheridia in 2-10 pairs.

Female branches

500-750 µm long, ventrally inserted, bordered by straight, hair-like cilia, archegonia in 2-6 pairs.

Calyptra

1.5-3 mm long, terminating in corona, surface with numerous thick-walled cells.

Gemmae

Not seen.

Figures

FIG. 4. — Riccardia martinii sp. nov.: A, thallus mats; B, dry thallus, showing white margins; C, moistened thallus; D, portion of thallus in dorsal view, showing thickened cell walls; E, apex of ultimate branch, showing papillae; F, main axis in cross section; G, ultimate branches in cross section; H, calyptra; I, portion of thallus with male branches. From Sass-Gyarmati 9613/CW, Vojko 9660/CS, Pócs 9602CU, 6877/K, Bardat JBMAD78 (PC0763890), Riccardia ramosissima (Steph) Grolle: J, thalli; K, main axis in cross section; L, ultimate branches in cross section; M, male branch; N, calyptra; O, upper portion of calyptra, showing umbo. From Reeb CR13Z51 (PC0763864), Pócs 6981/A, Jelinek s.n. (Type of Aneura compacta). Riccardia saccatiflora (Steph.) S.W.Arnell: P, thalli; Q, main axis in cross section; R, ultimate branches in cross section; S, portion of thallus with two female branch (left) and two male branches; T, calyptra. From Wigginton M1758b, Reeb CR11142 (PC0763883), Een M064, Rodriguez 182 (Type of Aneura saccatiflora). Riccardia vohimanensis Reeb & Gradst.: U, thalli; V, main axis in cross section; W, ultimate branch in cross section; X, sporophyte and calyptra with the vegetative expansion at its basis. From Reeb MTM1278 (PC0763879), CR13Z23 (PC0763868), O’Shea M7327b, Een M028. Scale bars: A-C, H-J, N, P, U, 1 mm; D-G, M, Q, T, V-X, 500 µm; K, L, R, 100 µm; O, S, 200 µm.