Tropicos | Name - !Leptodontium pungens (Mitt.) Kindb.

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!Leptodontium pungens (Mitt.) Kindb.

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Project data (Last Modified On 2/16/2011)

Discussion:

Leptodontium pungens has erect to erect-spreading leaves that are twisted-contorted when dry, a thick costa (semicircular in cross-section with 2 layers of ventral stereids) and small leaf cells that have multifid papillae scattered over the lumina. It is similar to L. wallisii, which differs from L. pungens in having larger leaves with high, oblong, closely sheathing leaf bases, and several rows of wide, short-rectangular, smooth cells along the basal margins of the sheathing leaf base. Leptodontium filicola is also somewhat similar to L. pungens but it is a smaller plant with oblong-lanceolate leaves that are broadly acute to subobtuse at the apices, has short-rectangular basal cells, and obovoid gemmae clustered at the stem apex. Both L. brachyphyllum and L. longicaule differ from L. pungens in having the lower cells of their leaf sheath short-rectangular, non-porose, and pluripapillose.

Illustrations: Bartram (1949, Fig. 49, E–H); Zander (1972, Figs. 93–99); De Sloover (1987, Figs. 38–56); Zander (1993, Pl. 36 1–10). Figure 46.

Habitat: On non-calcareous boulders, dry ridge in pine woods; 3800–4600 m.

Distribution in Central America: GUATEMALA. Chimaltenango: Godman & Salvin (BM, FH, NY); San Marcos: Steyermark 35524 (F, FH, MICH, NY).

World Range: Mexico; Central America; Western, Northern, and Southern South America, Brazil; West-Central and East Tropical Africa, Western Indian Ocean.

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Leptodontium pungens (Mitt.) Kindb., Enum. Bryin. Exot. 63. 1888.

Didymodon pungens Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 7: 150. 1864. Trichostomum pungens (Mitt.) Par., Ind. Bryol. 1329. 1898. Protologue: Cameroon. Cameroon Mtn, on rocks alt. 10,000 ft, Dec. 1862, Mann (NY).

Leptodontium acutifolium Mitt., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 51. 1869. Didymodon acutifolius (Mitt.) Jaeg., Ber. Thätigk. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 1871-1872: 361. 1873. Protologue: Guatemala. Volcán de Fuego, Godman et Salvin. Ecuador. Andes Quitenses, Chimborazo et Cayambe, Jameson. Ecuador. Pangor et Carguairazo (procerius) ad rupes (10,000-11,000 ped), Spruce, n. 29. Lectotype (Zander 1972): Guatemala, Volcán de Fuego: Godman & Salvin, s.n. (NY).

Plants medium-sized in loose tufts, yellowish brown, 2–4 cm high. Stems red, erect or laxly ascending, hyalodermis present, sparsely radiculose. Leaves erect to erect-spreading, twisted to contorted when dry, spreading-recurved to squarrose-recurved when wet, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm long, keeled above, erect-sheathing at base, not decurrent; apices acuminate; margins recurved in lower 1/2–2/3, dentate in upper 1/3; costa percurrent to subpercurrent, semicircular, with 2 ventral and 2–3 dorsal layers of stereid cells; upper leaf cells quadrate to subrectangular, or oblate, thick-walled with rounded corners, 5–10 x 3.7–10 μm, pluripapillose, papillae multifid, scattered, basal cells long-rectangular, thin- or firm-walled, 32–65 x 2.5–5 μm, often laterally thickened and porose pluripapillose, papillae simple, alar cells differentiated in small groups of yellow-red, short-rectangular, porose cells. Dioicous. Sporophytes not known in Central America, description based on South American plants. Setae straight, 10–13 mm long, yellow-brown. Capsules erect, cylindrical, 1.5–2 mm long, smooth to rugose when dry; exothecial cells short-rectangular; stomata at base of urn; opercula obliquely conic-rostrate, 0.7–1 mm long; peristome teeth linear, irregularly divided in upper 1/2–2/3, yellow-brown, smooth to indistinctly striate, preperistome sometimes present. Spores 12–17.5 μm, densely papillose. Calyptra not seen.