Tropicos | Name - Bryoerythrophyllum aeneum (Müll. Hal.) B.H. Allen

Cent. Amer. Moss > Pottiaceae > Bryoerythrophyllum > Bryoerythrophyllum aeneum

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Bryoerythrophyllum aeneum (Müll. Hal.) B.H. Allen

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Project Name Data (Last Modified On 2/15/2011)

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Project data (Last Modified On 2/15/2011)

Discussion:

Bryoerythrophyllum aeneum is distinguished from all other Central American species of Bryoerythrophyllum except B. recurvirostrum by the combination of oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate leaves with mostly rectangular basal cells, distantly dentate apices and strongly recurved leaf margins. Although B. aeneum has been treated as a synonym (Bartram 1949) or variety (Zander 1979, 1993, 1994a) of B. recurvirostrum, that species differs from B. aeneum in lacking rhizoidal gemmae, in its synoicous or paroicous sexuality, and in having thin-walled, bulging, smooth basal leaf cells. Zander (1994a) reported B. aeneum as being either dioicous or polygamous, but all Central American material of this species is dioicous.

Illustrations: Zander (1978, Figs. 1–6); Sharp et al. (1994, Fig. 203 f–g). Figure 12.

Habitat: On bark, rocks, moist banks, and in Pinus-Cupressus forests; 2220–3700 m.

Distribution in Central America: GUATEMALA. Huehuetenango: Steyermark 50268a (F); Quezaltenango: Standley 84274 (F, NY); Sacatepéquez: Standley 65244 (F); Totonicapán: Standley 84029a (F).

World Range: Mexico; Central America; Western South America.

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Bryoerythrophyllum aeneum (C. Müll.) Allen comb. nov.

Trichostomum aeneum C. Müll., Syn. Musc. Frond. 2: 628. 1851. Didymodon aeneus (C. Müll.) Schimp. ex Besch., Mém. Soc. Sci. Nat. Cherbourg 16: 172. 1872. Barbula aenea (C. Müll.) Par., Index Bryol. 55. 1894. Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum var. aeneum (C. Müll.) Zander, Bryologist 79: 229. 1976. Protologue: Mexico. Mexico, in latere Pic. de Orizaba: Liebmann.

Plants small to medium-sized, reddish green to reddish yellow, 5–25 mm high. Stems red, erect, irregularly branched, sclerodermis and central strand present; rhizoids red, smooth, at base and scattered on stems. Leaves 1.5–2.2 mm long, erect, not sheathing at base, erect-incurved, twisted when dry, spreading when wet, oblong-lanceolate; apices broadly acute, apiculate; margins unistratose, recurved to near the apex, distantly dentate above, not bordered, decurrent at base; costa percurrent, papillose at back, ventral superficial cells quadrate to short-rectangular, pluripapillose, guide cells and two stereid bands present, upper ventral epidermal layer enlarged, papillose; upper cells 6–10 x 5–8 μm, firm-walled, oblate, irregularly quadrate, or short-rectangular, densely pluripapillose by thick, c-shaped papillae, basal cells more or less pluripapillose, rectangular to quadrate, firm-walled, not bulging, 10–42 x 8–12 μm, alar cells not differentiated. Gemmae large, red, multicellular, spherical to ovate gemmae on rhizoids. Dioicous. Perichaetia terminal; perichaetial leaves not strongly differentiated. Setae smooth, 10–15 mm long, red. Capsules cylindric, erect, 2 mm long, smooth; exothecial cells rectangular; stomata in neck; opercula erect, long-conic, 1.2 mm long; annuli revoluble, of 2 rows of vesiculose cells; peristome of 32 erect, white, filamentous, densely spiculose teeth, to 260 μm long, basal membrane absent. Spores 10–14 μm, smooth. Calyptrae not seen.