Abstract
ABSTRACT Palynological studies of bryophytes are critical for evaluating the taxonomic relevance of their spores. They also provide important support to paleoecological investigations that, usually, treat bryophytes as a whole, which does not permit the evaluation of specific functional traits of a special taxonomic unit. The present study investigated the morphology and ultrastructure of spores of five species of Erpodiaceae (Bryophyta), and assessed the implications for taxonomy and the recognition of spores of past records. Erpodiaceae includes corticolous and saxicolous plants that are widely distributed throughout tropical and temperate regions. The spores were found to be isomorphic and apolar with a subcircular amb, granulate, inaperturate. The sporoderm possesses a perine, an exine and a stratified intine. The perine is largely responsible for spore surface ornamentation. The occurrence of exine projections, in isolation or sustaining the elements of the perine, characterizes sporoderm structure with features similar to that of a semitectum, a distinctive characteristic that has not been reported previously for bryophyte spores.
Highlights
The moss family Erpodiaceae Broth. is widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions
The present study aimed to provide a detailed account of the morphology and ultrastructure of the spores of five species of Erpodiaceae from Brazil, in order to evaluate the taxonomic importance of spore morphology for the family and to facilitate their identification in past palynological records
Mean values for spore diameter were calculated from measurements under light microscopy (LM) of 100 spores for the reference specimen (RS; indicated by an * in Specimens Investigated List and the Tables), and 30 spores for comparison specimens (CS)
Summary
The moss family Erpodiaceae Broth. is widely distributed in tropical and temperate regions. The plants are small, prostrate, grow as mats and are autoicous and cladocarpous. Their stems are creeping and irregularly pinnate, while the leaves are oblong to oblong-ovate. They lack costa, have smooth or pluripapillose laminal cells, usually short seta and a capsule that is immersed to exserted (Pursell 1994; Pursell & Allen 2002; Faria et al 2018). Costa et al (2011) and Yano (2011) report seven species of Erpodiaceae for Brazil, whereas Faria et al (2018) consider there to be five
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