The Identity of Entosthodon durieui and E. pallescens

Abstract

Entosthodon durieui Mont. and E. pallescens Jur., two species with Mediterranean distributions are compared and are identical. A description and illustrations of E. durieui, incorporating spore morphology, are given. Entosthodon durieui was described by Montagne (1849) and E. mustaphae by Trabut (1886), both species from Algeria. They have also been reported from Israel and Spain. Bizot (1945) considered E. mustaphae synonymous with E. durieui. Allorge (1960) published descriptions and illustrations of both taxa. Juratzka (in Unger & Kotschy 1865) described Entosthodon pallescens from Cyprus, but details about calyptra and lid were not provided. Subsequently, this species has been recorded from many Mediterranean countries and islands (Balearic Island, Crete, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Israel, Sicily, Turkey, and Spain), central Asia, and Tenerife. Casares-Gil (1915) reduced E. physcomitroides CasaresGil & Beltrin reported from the Iberian Peninsula (Casares-Gil & Beltriin 1912), to a variety of E. pallescens. Loeske (1929) suggested the epithet mitratus because of its mitriform calyptra, even though details about calyptra were not provided in the original description of E. pallescens. It seems to have been understood that E. pallescens had a cucullate calyptra, which corresponds to the characteristic shape found in the genus Entosthodon; however, the presence of a mitriform calyptra can be found in the description of E. pallescens by Abramov et al. (1989). Comparative studies of E. durieui and E. pallescens have only been carried out by Loeske (1929) and Bilewsky (1965). Loeske doubted that there is any difference between these two species. Bilewsky tried to distinguish between them, but his conclusions are ambiguous and contradictory. Loeske also related E. durieui and E. mustaphae with E. commutatus Dur. & Mont., a species also described from the north of Africa. Thus, these three species appear as synonymous in Index Muscorum. In the Israel checklist (Herrnstadt et al. 1991), E. commutatus, E. durieui, and E. mustaphae are considered synonyms of E. attenuatus (Dicks.) Bryh. In the distribution maps of the bryophytes of the Iberian Peninsula (Casas et al. 1996), E. pallescens, E. durieui, and the varieties mitratus and mustaphae, have been shown in one single map, due to difficulties in distinguishing them. C reful research shows that E. durieui, E. commutatus, and E. attenuatus are not synonymous. Entosthodon commutatus has leaves tapering to long apiculate apices and long-lanceolate peristome teeth; these features serve to clearly distinguish it from E. durieui. Additionally, E. attenuatus can be differentiated by its cerise rhizoids, which are light brown in other taxa (Fife 1987). It is also worthwhile noting that E. durieui differs from other closely related species from the north of Africa which are included in the genus Funaria, such as F. saharae Trab., F. deserticola Trab., and F. nilotica Broth. Long lanceolate peristome teeth have been observed in the above species. Funaria mouretti Corb., from the North of Africa too, has denticulate leaves with excurrent nerve. Specimens classified as E. pallescens or as E. durieui present a set of characters that are not found in other species of the genus Entosthodon. The leaves are entire, elliptic to obovate or spathulate, marginal cells not differentiated, with a weak short nerve and an acute to obtuse apex. The pyriform capsule has a neck as long as the sporangium, the peristome teeth are rudimentary and short, with only 2 or 3 cell segments overhanging the capsule mouth. The spores are coarsely baculate-insulate and the mature calyptra has inflated and lobed bases with 3 or 4 slits. Entosthodon durieui and E. pallescens share the same habitat. All specimens have been collected on calcareous rocks and artificial walls in dry environments at low elevations. We conclude that E. durieui and E. pallescens are the same taxon. The name E. durieui takes priority. Entosthodon durieui belongs to the subgenus Entosthodon (Fife 1985): the exothecial cells are oblong with thick, radially cuneate walls and the mouth has the same diameter as the moist capsule. However, the calyptra is mitrate, as characteristic for the genus Physcomitrium. Spores are coarsely baculate-insulate, similar to those of E. tucsonii, which is considered by Fife (1985) as a species with anomalous spores, but rightly placed in subgenus Entosthodon. This ornamentation pattern is 0007-2745/98/133-136$0.55/0 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.109 on Wed, 22 Feb 2017 19:02:57 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 134 THE BRYOLOGIST [VOL. 101