Tropicos | Name - !Rhodobryum beyrichianum (Hornsch.) Hampe

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!Rhodobryum beyrichianum (Hornsch.) Hampe

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Project data (Last Modified On 2/24/2011)

Discussion:

Rhodobryum beyrichianum is a robust species with a dark-green color and leaves that are soft and flaccid with undulate leaf margins when dry. The leaf margins are yellowish and with a dissecting microscope they appear to be strongly bordered. In closer view they are seen to consists of only 1-2 rows of cells parallel to the margin that are a little longer and narrower than the laminal cells. The leaf margins are sharply denticulate by broad or narrow teeth. The range in setae length in this species is very large, however the setae in any one collection are consistent in length. Plants with either long or short setae are gametophytically identical. Rhodobryum beyrichianum is distinguished from all other Central American members of the genus by its soft, flaccid leaves with undulate leaf margins. Both R. grandifolium and R. huillense also differ from it in having strongly differentiated leaf limbidia and serrulate to serrate leaf margins. Rhodobryum roseum is similar in its weakly-developed leaf limbidia, but differs in having leaf margins revolute in ½ to _ the leaf length.

Ochi (1981, 1994) suggested that a type examination of the Caribbean R. domingense (Brid.) Besch. will show that it is the same as R. beyrichianum; R. domingense is the older name. Central American plants of R. beyrichianum can be distinctly rosulate or have leaves somewhat crowded at the apex and distantly, evenly foliate below. The strongly rosulate plants appear close to R. commersonii (Schwaegr.) Par., while the more evenly foliate plants appear close to R. aubertii (Schwaegr.) Thér., both of African-Asian distribution. The relationship between R. beyrichianum and these species needs further study; one or both of them may prove synonymous with it. Both of these names predate R. domingense.

Bartram’s (1949) report of R. utriculosum (C. Müll.) Par from Guatemala (Steyermark 37278, F) is R. beyrichianum.

Illustrations: Bartram (1949, Fig. 81 C–D); Ochi (1981, Fig 52); Sharp et al. (1994, Fig. 370 d–g). Figure 165.

Habitat: On humus or soil over rocks and rotting logs, and epiphytic on vines, tree ferns, palms, and trees; 445–2500 m.

Distribution in Central America: BELIZE. Cayo: Allen 18105 (BRH, MO). GUATEMALA. Alta Verapaz: Croat 41431 (MO); Baja Verapaz: Sharp 2777 (TENN); Chiquimula: Steyermark 30843 (F); El Progreso: Steyermark 43530 (F); Petén: Lundell 15838 (MO); San Marcos: Steyermark 37278 (F). HONDURAS. Comayagua: Allen 13696 (MO, TEFH); Cortés: Allen 14180 (MO, TEFH); El Paraíso: Rodriguez 1817 (F); Santa Bárbara: Allen 11683 (MO, TEFH); Olancho: Allen 12903 (MO, TEFH). NICARAGUA. Estelí: Moreno 17415B (MO); Jinotega: Stevens & Grijalva 15264 (MO); Matagalpa: Stevens 23121 (MO). COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Brenes 16184 (F); Cartago: Kennedy & Solomon 4637 (MO); Limón: Davidse et al. 28851 (MO); Puntarenas: Davidse 24211 (CR, MO); San José: Holz & Schäfer-Verwimp CR99-1081 (GOET, MO). PANAMA. Panamá: Crosby 10080 (MO); Darién: Mori & Gentry 4422 (MO, PMA).

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

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Rhodobryum beyrichianum (Hornsch.) C. Müll. ex Hampe, Vidensk. Meddel. Dansk Naturhist. Foren. Kjøbenhavn ser. 3, 6: 146. 1875.

Mnium beyrichianum Hornsch. in Mart., Fl. Bras. 1(2): 45. 1840. Bryum beyrichianum (Hornsch.) C. Müll., Syn. Musc. Frond. 1: 249. 1848. Protologue: Brazil. In vicinia Sebastianopoleos, e.g. ad Tijuca; in montibus Serra dos Orgaôs, ad radices arborum, locis humidis rel. Merkel, Olfers, Beyrich, Sellow.

Plants robust, dark-green to light-green, rarely yellowish green in loose tufts to 8 cm high; rhizoids reddish brown, papillose, moderately developed at base of stems, at times with papillose, reddish brown, axillary filaments. Leaves 8–12 x 3.5–6 mm, distinctly rosulate or leaves somewhat crowded at apex and distantly spaced below, erect-spreading to spreading, soft and flaccid, spreading when wet, obovate‑oblong, not or weakly decurrent at base; apices acuminate; margins undulating when dry, not or indistinctly bordered by 1–2 rows of somewhat longer and narrower, weakly differentiated cells, recurved at base, plane above, sharply denticulate in upper half, the teeth single; costae shortly excurrent, with ventral substereids, dorsal stereids absent; upper cells rhomboidal to rhomboidal-hexagonal, firm‑walled, 70–100 x 30 μm, basal cells long‑rectangular, 100–120 x 40 μm, alar cells reddish, shorter and broader, often pitted, otherwise weakly differentiated. Dioicous. Setae 1–2 per perichaetium, 25–75 mm long, dark-red. Capsules 6–7 mm long, cylindrical to oblong-pyriform, inclined to pendent, neck short and weakly striate; opercula 1.5 mm long, conic and long apiculate; peristome perfect, exostome teeth red-yellow, densely and finely papillose below, papillose above, strongly trabeculate at back, endostome yellowish‑hyaline, lightly papillose, basal membrane ½–_ of exostome teeth length, segments well-developed, broadly perforate, cilia 2–3, appendiculate. Spores 12–16 μm, lightly papillose.