Moss Records from Eastern Mexico. II

Abstract

Anomodon thraustus, an Asiatic species, and Drummondia prorepens are reported as additions to the bryoflora of Mexico. Range extensions in Mexico are reported for Forsstroemia ohioensis and Pilotrichum amazonum. A report of some new records of mosses for Mexico, based on collections made during the summer of 1961, was given previously (Reese & Pursell 1963). The species listed in the present report were identified from specimens also collected at that time. ANOMODON THRAUSTUS C. Miill. The present specimen could not be identified with any of the species of Anomodon listed by Crum (1951). However, Dr. Z. Iwatsuki tentatively identified it as belonging to A. thraustus, an Asiatic species whose range includes Pakistan, India, China, Korea, and Japan. Dr. Iwatsuki recently sent us speciments of A. thraustus from Japan and Korea, and the Mexican material agrees.with them. Iwatsuki (1963), in a revision of the eastern Asiatic species of Anomodon, considers A. thraustus to be closely allied to A. minor (Hedw.) Fiirnr. It is, however, distinguishable by a number of characteristics: The secondary stems of A. thraustus are more densely branched than those of A. minor. When moist, the leaves of A. thraustus are squarrose to recurved, as opposed to the two-ranked or complanate appearance in A. minor. The upper or lingulate portion of 1 This work was supported by Grant G-13306 from the National Science Foundation. 2 Department of Botany, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802. 3 Department of Biology, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.159 on Sun, 23 Oct 2016 04:37:42 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1966] PURSELL & REESE: MEXICAN MOSS RECORDS 503 the leaves of A. thraustus is narrower and more fragile than that of A. minor. And, whereas the costa of A. minor is distinct throughout its length, the distal portion of the costa of A. thraustus is usually obscured by overlying chlorophyllose cells similar to those of the lamina. MEXICO. TAMAULIPAS: Oak forest, 30 mi W of Antiguo Morelos along the road to Huizache, 4,000 ft, Pursell & Reese 5413 (PAC). DRUMMONDIA PROREPENS (Hedw.) Britt. The occurrence of this species in the mountains of eastern Mexico is not too surprising in view of the several other species that are characteristic of eastern North America that also appear there. This species also occurs in Japan. The presence of this species and Anomodon thraustus in Mexico is of especial interest in view of a recent paper in which Sharp and Iwatsuki (1965) compared the moss floras of Mexico and Japan and found that there are approximately 93 species, distributed among 65 genera, common to the two countries. MEXICO. TAMAULIPAS: Oak forest, 16 mi SW of Cd. Victoria along the road to Tula, 3,500 ft, Pursell & Reese 5553 (PAC). FORSSTROEMIA OHIOENSIS (Sull.) Lindb. This species was first reported from Mexico by Robinson (1964) from specimens collected near Jacala, Hidalgo. The present collections extend the known range of the species in Mexico approximately 259 miles northward. Forsstroemia ohioensis is also known from Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, and Paraguay. Duplicates of our collection 5561 are being distributed through the A.B.S. Moss Exchange. MEXICO. TAMAULIPAS: Scrub woods below the E rim of Mesa La Chorrito, 60 mi NW of Victoria, 1,100 ft, Reese & Pursell 5561, 5574 (LAF, PAC). PILOTRICHUM AMAZONUM Mitt. Crum (1951) reported this species from Niltepec, Oaxaca, based on a specimen collected by Sharp. The present collection extends the known range of the species in Mexico some 500 miles northward. The specimen is rather depauperate and was identified by Dr. H. Robinson. MEXICO. SAN LUIS POTOSi: Wooded slope beside the waterfall, El Salto, 7 mi N of the Antiguo Morelos-Huizache Road, 700-1,000 ft, Pursell & Reese, 5281 (PAC).