Tropicos | Name - !Breutelia tomentosa (Sw. ex Brid.) Spruce

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!Breutelia tomentosa (Sw. ex Brid.) Spruce

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Project Name Data (Last Modified On 3/7/2011)

Acceptance : Accepted

Project data (Last Modified On 3/7/2011)

Discussion :

Breutelia tomentosa is the most common species of the genus in Central America. It is usually a slender plant with narrow, ovate-lanceolate leaves that are distinctly twisted above when dry. The leaves of B. tomentosa are somewhat dimorphic. The stem leaves are commonly more closely spaced and considerable larger than the branch leaves. They are more or less erect clasping at base and have alar regions with a small group of enlarged to thick-walled, quadrate alar cells at the extreme basal angles. The branch leaves are usually widely spaced and because they spread from the insertion when dry the dark-red stems are conspicuous. There are 1–2 enlarged alar cells at the extreme basal angles of the branch leaves, otherwise the alar cells are undifferentiated.

The stem leaf alar cells of B. tomentosa are similar to those of B. brittoniae, but that species differs from B. tomentosum in having clasping branch leaves, more strongly plicate leaf bases, and small groups of short, broad cells (sulci) clustered at the junction of the leaf sheath and limb. Although some large forms of B. tomentosa approach B. chrysea in aspect and leaf shape, the extensively developed alar cells of B. chrysea that extend well up the basal leaf angles will separate it from B. tomentosa.

Griffin (1994) included Africa in the range of this species, however, De Sloover (1975a) excluded it from that region.

Illustrations : Bartram (1949, Fig. 90 F–H); Sharp et al. (1994, Fig. 414). Fig. 201 A–F.

Habitat : On soil of road banks, over rocks, ground in pastures or heaths, boulders by streams, and tree bark; 1200–3450 m.

Distribution in Central America : GUATEMALA. Alta Verapaz: Standley 71074 (F, FH); Baja Verapaz: Sharp 5134 (F); Guatemala: Kellerman (US); Huehuetenango: Steyermark 49913D (F); San Marcos: Croat 41027 (GUAT, MO, NY, US); Suchitepéquez: Holdridge (US); Totonicapán: Standley 65919 (F, FH). HONDURAS. Atlántida: Allen 17549 (MO, TEFH); Comayagua: Hawkins 742 (MO, TEFH); Cortés: Allen 14237 (MO, TEFH); Francisco Morazán: Allen 12365 (MO, TEFH); Lempira: Allen 11822 (MO, TEFH); Ocotepeque: Allen 14527 (MO, NY, TEFH). NICARAGUA. Matagalpa: Richards et al. 3740 (F, MO, NY). COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Crosby 3762 (CR, MO, NY); Cartago: Croat 35408A (CR, MO); Heredia: Griffin et al. D235 (F, MO, NY); Puntarenas: Lyon 165 (CR, FLAS, MO, MICH, NY, TENN, US); San José: Crosby 10957 (BA, CR, FLAS, MO, NY, TENN, US). PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: Allen 5732 (MO, PMA); Chiriquí: D’Arcy 11112C (MO).

World Range : Mexico; Central America; Caribbean, Western and Northern South America, Brazil.

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Breutelia tomentosa (Sw. ex Brid.) Jaeg., Ber. Thätigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1873–74: 93. 1875. Mnium tomentosum Sw. ex Brid., Muscol. Recent. 2(3): 78. 1803. Bryum tomentosum (Sw. ex Brid.) Sw., Fl. Ind. Occid. 3: 1837. 1806. Bartramia tomentosa (Sw. ex Brid.) Brid., Muscol. Recent. Suppl. 3: 94. 1817. Philonotis tomentosa (Sw. ex Brid.) Brid., Bryol. Univ. 2: 26. 1827. Protologue: Jamaica. In Jamaicâ habitat. [Swartz].

Plants small to medium-sized, in dense or loose, glossy, yellowish‑green or green tufts, to 70(–120) mm high. Stems red, laxly ascending, hyalodermis and central strand present, densely tomentose below; rhizoids reddish brown, smooth or roughened. Leaves 1.4–3 mm long, stem leaves usually with erect and laxly clasping leaf bases, branch leaves usually well-spaced, and erect- or wide-spreading from the insertion, straight or somewhat secund, ovate-lanceolate, plicate at base; apices long, slenderly acuminate, twisted when dry; margins plane below narrowly revolute above, serrulate; costae long-excurrent and sharply toothed or percurrent; cells papillose mostly at lower ends, occasionally from both ends, upper cells long-rectangular to sublinear, firm- and straight‑walled or porose, 17–45 x 4–6 μm, basal cells 25–65 x 3.7–6 μm, alar region with 1–3 enlarged, inflated alar cells at extreme basal angle and 1–6 enlarged quadrate supra-alar cells. Dioicous. Perigonia discoid. Setae straight or flexuose, 15–27 mm long. Capsules erect, inclined to horizontal, 1.5–3.5 mm long, ovoid, furrowed when dry, striate when wet; exothecial cells firm-walled; stomata numerous at base; opercula plano-convex, mammillate; exostome teeth narrowly triangular, reddish orange, finely papillose below, coarsely papillose near tips, dorsal trabeculae faint, ventral trabeculae strongly thickened, endostome segments broad, nearly as long as the exostome, yellow to reddish yellow, lightly papillose below, densely papillose above, segments split along the median line and each half diverging toward the cilia, cilia 2–3, rudimentary, often fused. Spores reniform, 25–35 μm, warty, red-brown.