Pinnate Branching Research Articles

Morpho-anatomical characteristics, phytochemical and antibacterial potential of Sargassum polycystum collected along the southern coast of Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Meinita MDN, Yulia R, Nursid M, Nurulita NA, Harwanto D, Riviani, Riyanti. 2024. Morpho-anatomical characteristics, phytochemical and antibacterial potential of Sargassum polycystum collected along the south coast of Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 2669-2681. The southern coast of Java is one of the coastal areas in Indonesia with a high abundance of seaweed. Sargassum polycystum, a brown marine macroalga that is abundant in southern coast of Java, contains high secondary metabolites and exhibits promising potential as an antibacterial agent. There is lack of comprehensive study on morpho-anatomical characteristic and bioactivity of S. polycystum. Hence, this study investigated the morpho-anatomical characteristics, phytochemical compound content, and antibacterial activity of S. polycystum collected from three different beaches along the southern coast of Java Island against pathogenic bacteria Bacillus megaterium, Micrococcus luteus, and Escherichia coli. Specimen collection was done using purposive random sampling along southern coast of Java Island, followed by descriptive exploratory of morpho-anatomical characteristic, extraction, phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity assay. Maceration with methanol solvent during 48 hours was used for extraction. The phytochemical analysis employed a qualitative descriptive method, while the antibacterial activity was assessed using the disc diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer). The morpho-anatomical characteristics observed of S. polycystum include the characteristic of a rough-textured stipe, round tapered serrated blade, small disc-shaped holdfast, alternate pinnate branching, cell wall, vacuole and cytoplasm. The morphology and anatomy of S. polycystum particularly the thallus and blade structure are strongly impacted by the environmental condition of southern coast of Java. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and steroids in S. polycystum extract. Antibacterial assay demonstrated a medium to strong antibacterial activity against B. megaterium with bacteriostatic properties, strong to very strong antibacterial activity against M. luteus, and weak antibacterial activity against E. coli. Future research is required to examine how environmental conditions affect the composition and concentration of phytochemical compounds in S. polycystum.

Gelidium sanyaense sp. nov. and G. yangmeikengense sp. nov. (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta) from southern China based on morphology and molecular data

:Taxonomic confusion has been a significant problem with the small species of Gelidium because of their simple and variable morphology. In this study, specimens of two turf-forming species from southern China were studied on the basis of morphology and molecular data. Both data sets revealed the presence of two novel species in Gelidium: G. sanyaense sp. nov. and G. yangmeikengense sp. nov., described here. Gelidium sanyaense, forming sparse or dense turfs along the coast of southern China, was distinguished by the presence of compact brushlike haptera, a flattened and lanceolate axis, simple branches, and sparse medullary cells surrounded by rhizines. Gelidium yangmeikengense was characterized by a broad, stipelike axis that was constricted at the base, broadened in the middle and attenuated upward to become slender and cylindrical, and by sparsely pinnate branches on the upper portion of the axis. In phylogenies of both COI and rbcL sequences, G. sanyaense and G. yangmeikengense were distantly related and formed separate monophyletic clades.

Frullania pinnata spec. nov. (Frullaniaceae, Porellales), a new leafy liverwort in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber from Myanmar

An inclusion in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar is described as a new fossil species in the extant liverwort genus Frullania. The name Frullania pinnata is proposed for the taxon that is characterized by entire underleaves paired with a conspicuous pinnate branching pattern, two distinctive and stable morphological features. Entire underleaves are known in several extant Frullania species but had not previously been documented in Frullania in amber. The combination of morphological characters in this new fossil species is unknown in any crown group lineage of Frullania, and may very well represent a stem lineage element of the genus. This discovery is important because it expands our understanding of the diversity of Frullaniaceae in the Burmese amber forest as well as important ramifications for the phylogenetic reconstruction of extant Frullania lineages.

Notes on Early Land Plants Today. 26. Miscellaneous synonyms in liverworts (Marchantiophyta)

Aneura bipinnata (≡ Riccardia bipinnata, described from Jamaica as Jungermannia bipinnata (“2-pinnata“) by Olof Swartz (1788, 1806), is one of the oldest names in Aneuraceae and one of the poorest known. Swartz' original description and the brief diagnosis in Synopsis Hepaticarum (Gottsche et al. 1846) are the only available descriptions for the species. Stephani (1899) was unable to locate material of Aneura bipinnata and listed the species without description in his Species Hepaticarum. Swartz (1806) compared his Jungermannia bipinnata with Jungermannia multifida (≡ Riccardia multifida), a widespread Holarctic species. My study of the holotype material of Jungermannia bipinnata kept in S revealed that the species is identical to R. multifidaand a synonym of the latter. Characteristic are the creeping to somewhat procumbent, several cm long shoots with regularly 2(-3)-pinnate branching, the linear, broadly winged branches and the swollen, biconvex main axis with or without a narrow wing.

Enigmatic occurrence of Permian plant roots in Lower Silurian rocks, Guizhou Province, China

Pinnatiramosus qianensis Geng, 1986, is a plant with a complex, extensive pinnate branching system and pitted tracheids, collected from marine Lower Silurian (Llandovery; c. 430 Ma) rocks in Guizhou Province, China. It challenges long-held theories on the origin and early evolution of vascular plants in the Silurian and Devonian. However, there is a hypothesis that the fossils were not syngenetic with the entombing rock, but were the rooting systems of much younger plants, probably of Permian age. New sections and collections of P. qianensis have been subjected to detailed analyses, which indicate that P. qianensis belongs to an early Permian (c. 285 Ma) rooting system growing down into lower Silurian rocks.

Colony growth in the harvested octocoral Pseudopterogorgia acerosa in a Caribbean coral reef

Pseudopterogorgia acerosa is the tallest gorgonian octocoral found in the Caribbean. In the Cartagena area, Colombia, P. acerosa is commonly harvested as raw material for handicrafts, rendering important the study of its growth and population dynamics. Growth measurements of branches from multiple colonies at two different reefs during 1 year revealed that the main growth was due to rapid elongation of the main (‘mother’) branch and production of daughter branches from the same (or just a few) mother branch(es). Some small colonies doubled their original size in a year. The branches’ absolute growth rate was weakly correlated with size, with no significant relationships between branch size and percent growth. While the pinnate branching pattern in P. acerosa is similar to its congeners Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae and Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata, it produces taller colonies due to the faster growth rate in the primordial mother branch. This growth mode seems advantageous as it augments exposure to light and higher fluxes of suspended food in the benthic boundary layer. Post-harvesting, clipped colonies exhibited clear signs of regeneration, even in cases where only the holdfast remained. Pseudopterogorgia acerosa seems to have similar regeneration capabilities respect to other Pseudopterogorgia species, where regenerating colonies may grow faster than intact ones.

Morphological Characteristics of Ectomycorrhizas on Merbau [Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) O. Kuntze

Merbau [ Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) O. Kuntze] is one of valuable timber tree in south-east Asia which has been known having ectomycorrhizae (EcM) though being ignored. Identification of the ectomycorrizae is prime important for being basis of further studies. This study investigated the EcM fungi associated with Merbau by using both sporocarp morphology and EcM morphotypes. Morphological characters of sporocarps and basidiocarps of the fungi and EcM morphotypes obtained from seedlings and trees from natural and plantation stands of merbau, as well as from nurseries were compared to the description of those resulted from baiting method. Only one species of ectomycorrhizal fungus was found associated with merbau [ Intsia bijuga (Colebr.) Kuntze] which has not been described yet. The fungus formed mycorrhizae with monopodial pinnate branching. The fungus was identified belonging to the genus of Scleroderma . The fungus was more common to occur beneath merbau seedlings than trees. The sporocarps may be yielded under greenhouse condition and could be cultured in MMN agar media, thus it facilitates to the production of inoculums used for further studies.

Reexamination of the genus Pterocladiella (Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyta) in Korea based on morphology and rbcL sequences

Although Pterocladiella is a well-known agar-producing red algal genus, its taxonomy in Korea appears to be confused. In the present study, we demonstrate the occurrence of Pterocladiella nana and P. tenuis, as well as P. capillacea in Korea on the basis of morphological and plastid rbcL sequence comparisons. P. capillacea commonly occurs along the coasts of Korea and has regular pinnate branches with abundant second-order branches, growing up to 10 cm in length. P. nana occurs in the intertidal zone of Jeju and is distinguished by the small size of its thalli (up to 5 cm) and regular branches with up to third-order branches. P. tenuis is distributed mostly subtidally on the southern coast of Jeju and has irregular branches with rarely second-order branches, growing up to 19 cm in length. We determined rbcL sequences from 19 specimens (15 from Korea and four from France) and downloaded 28 sequences from GenBank. Analyses of all 47 rbcL sequences revealed that each of three species was consistently resolved. P. capillacea and P. tenuis always formed a sister clade with P. nana at the base. Given that 12 rbcL haplotypes from 28 specimens of P. capillacea have been found to date, analysis of a fast-evolving gene from across the range of the species should highlight its genetic diversity.

The Status of Neopotamolejeunea (Lejeuneaceae) and Description of a New Species from Ecuador and Southern Brazil

A new rheophytic liverwort species, Lejeunea topoensis (Lejeuneaceae), is described from the Andes of Ecuador and southern Brazil. The new species is intermediate between Lejeunea and Neopotamolejeunea, combining short leaf insertions typical of the former genus, and robust stems and pinnate branching with numerous short sexual branches characteristic of the latter. Neopotamolejeunea is therefore reduced to subgeneric status under Lejeunea. The discovery of L. topoensis adds a further species to the growing list of taxa with disjunct distribution in the Andes and the Atlantic coastal region of Brazil. It is postulated that the disjunct range resulted from long-distance dispersal, although it might to some extent reflect under-representation of collections. The new name L. juruana, replacing Neopotamolejeunea uleana, is proposed. Cheilolejeunea rupestris is a new synonym of C. beyrichii.

THE EARLIEST VASCULAR PLANT OR A LATER ROOTING SYSTEM? PINNATIRAMOSUS QIANENSIS FROM THE MARINE LOWER SILURIAN XIUSHAN FORMATION, GUIZHOU PROVINCE, CHINA

Pinnatiramosus qianensis Geng, a plant with a complex, extensive, pinnate branching system and pitted tracheids from marine Llandovery (lower Silurian) rocks in Guizhou Province, challenges long-held theories on the origin and early evolution of vascular plants in the Silurian and Devonian periods. This has led to the hypothesis that the fossils are not syngenetic with the entombing rock but represent the rooting systems of much younger plants, possibly of Permian age. Permian strata overly the Llandovery rocks unconformably in the succession. Leafless axes with less ordered branching occur closer to the boundary and may have had a similar source. Existing and new material of Pinnatiramosus has been subjected to detailed analyses in an attempt to resolve the problem. This has involved examination of the branching systems with respect to the surrounding matrix, comparative morphological descriptions of the systems, and anatomical investigations based on compression and permineralized fossils. The latter in particular indicate an endogenous origin of the lateral branches, typical of roots. Collectively such evidence is highly suggestive of roots of younger plants growing through lithified sediments—plants whose affinity and age remain to be determined but which show an amazing capacity to fill two-dimensional space efficiently, accompanied by an avoidance strategy that is also seen in recent angiosperms.

Changes in the patterning of a hydroid colony

It is a widely held view that colonial hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydroidomedusae) are formed on the basis of a repetition of uniform elements. The dominant opinion is that the equal spatial organisation of the colony exists during all stages of its development except the primary polyp, which develops from the settled larva. However, the complex structure and large dimensions of shoots in certain thecate species (subcl. Leptomedusae) suggest that the organisation of the primary shoot differs strongly from that of established colonies. The present study based on a thorough collection and examination of the collected material allowed to describe the entire sequence of the colony ontogeny in Hydrallmania falcata (Sertulariidae). The established shoots of this species are characterised by relatively large size, spiral arrangement of pinnate branches over the shoot stem, and hydranths arranged in one row along the upper side of branches. We showed that the primary shoot developing from the larva has much smaller dimensions and an alternate arrangement of hydranths. During further colony development the shoot organisation undergoes a gradual transformation ending with the emergence of large shoots with ‘characteristic’ species-specific features. The discovered sequence of changes in shoot patterning shows certain correlations with alterations of the growing tip dimensions. The dimensions of the growing tip seem to determine the patterning in accordance with the particular spatial location of the tip. This finding implies the necessity of a detailed reinvestigation of the entire colony development in thecate hydroids, which would make a significant contribution to the understanding of the morphogenetic evolution and patterning mechanisms within this group of colonial organisms.

Ptilophora leliaertii and Ptilophora coppejansii, two new species of Gelidiales (Rhodophyta) from South Africa

Ptilophora leliaertii Tronchin et De Clerck sp. nov. and Ptilophora coppejansii Tronchin et De Clerck sp. nov. are described from Protea Banks reef situated off the southern coast of the KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. They have thus far been collected only on this reef system. Ptilophora leliaertii is distinguishable by its compound pinnate branching and the concave nature of its flattened branches. Ptilophora coppejansii is distinguishable by short, closely spaced pinnae in its distal parts, arising from irregularly arranged indeterminate branches with broad flexuous alae and a distinct midrib. Analyses of rbcL and LSU gene sequences resolve both species as distinct, well-supported taxa, with P. coppejansii sister to Ptilophora diversifolia (Suhr) Papenfuss, and P. leliaertii sister to Ptilophora helenae (Dickinson) R. Norris. The reinstatement of P. helenae, a species recently placed in synonymy with Ptilophora pectinata (A. Gepp & E. Gepp) R. Norris from Australia, is proposed here based on molecular, morphological and biogeographical evidence.

Corallophila eatoniana comb. nov. (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta) from the Pacific coast of North America

A new combination is proposed for plants previously referred to as Ceramium eatonianum (Farlow) De Toni [= Centroceras eatonianum Farlow 1875] (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta). This red algal species is transferred to the genus Corallophila mostly on the basis of the following characteristics. It has rhizoids that arise from periaxial and inner cortical cells, outer cortical cells that are rectangular and arranged in longitudinal rows, spermatangia that develop on ordinary cortical cells, and tetrasporangia that are covered by cortical cells. Corallophila eatoniana is further characterized by having uniseriate rhizoids, pinnate branches. six to eight (usually seven) periaxial cells at the nodes, large gland cells on the tips of acropetal cortical filaments, and tetrasporangia on the upper parts of regular branches. The species occurs on the Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia, Canada, to Baja California, Mexico. Corallophila eatoniana is here neotypified by a specimen collected at Seal Rock, Oregon, on 10 July 1998. Generic comparisons between Corallophila and the fully corticated species of Ceramium and Centroceras are also given.

Amansia paloloensis sp. nov. (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) from Samoa, South Pacific

Amansia paloloensis sp. nov. (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) is described from Palolo Deep National Marine Reserve, Samoa, South Pacific. Like other members of the genus, specimens of A. paloloensis lack pseudoperiaxial cells. Only three species have hitherto been included in Amansia. Amansia paloloensis is clearly distinguished from A. loriformis R.E. Norris by its larger size, highly serrated margins, and laxly arranged rosettes of adventitious branches. Amansia multifida Lamouroux has pinnate branching, which distinguishes it from all other Amansia species, including the Samoan plants. Amansia rhodantha (Harvey) J. Agardh is clearly separated from the Samoan plants by its possession of highly corticated stems and by its tight rosettes of adventitious branches, which are morphologically distinct from the main axes. This record of Amansia is the first authenticated report of this genus sensu stricto from the South Pacific Ocean.

Austral Hepaticae. 26. The Identity, Taxonomic Position, and Ecology of Trichocolea julacea Hatcher (Trichocoleaceae)

A new species, Leiomitra julacea, is proposed for the New Zealand Trichocolea julacea, which is invalid according to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. The species is described and illustrated. The genus Trichocolea Dumortier is well represented in tropical montane areas and to a lesser extent the south temperate zone. Only a single species, T tomentella (Ehrhart) Dumortier, occurs in temperate areas in the Northern Hemisphere, where it is disjunctly widespread in range. Trichocolea tomentella is the type of the genus. Gottsche (1864: 132) subdivided Trichocolea into two sections, sect. Hirtiflora Gottsche (= sect. Trichocolea) and sect. Laeviflora Gottsche. He characterized section Hirtiflora as having a hairy involucrum, i.e., the calyptra, which is fused with and surrounded by bracts and bracteoles. Three species were assigned to this section: T tomentella, T mollissima (Hooker f. & Taylor) Gottsche, and T. lanata (Hooker) Nees. The other section, Laeviflora, was defined as having a smooth calyptra, devoid of bracts, and contained one species, T tomentosa (Swartz) Gottsche, which is therefore the type of the section. Lindberg (1875) created a new genus, Leiomitra Lindberg, which included T tomentosa and a new species, L. capillata Lindberg. He distinguished the genus from Trichocolea in part by the lack of regularly pinnate branching, and on the characters cited by Gottsche for Trichocolea sect. Laeviflora. However, Gottsche's section was not cited as a synonym. Leiomitra has been variously treated by subsequent authors. Spruce (1884-1885) recognized Leiomitra as a genus and included four neotropical species: L. tomentosa (Swartz) Lindberg, L. flaccida Spruce, L. sphagnoides Spruce, and L. paraphyllina Spruce. Stephani (1888) and Bescherelle (1893) also accepted the genus. Schiffner (1893-1895) treated Trichocolea as a genus and recognized Gottsche's sections as subgenera; Leiomitra Lindberg was cited as a synonym of subgenus Laeviflora (Gottsche) Schiffner. Schiffner's description of subgenus Hirtiflora (Gottsche) Schiffner emphasized succubously oriented leaves, repeatedly pinnate branching, and the presence of a fleshy, wooly calyptra having both bracts and sterile archegonia inserted on it; the subgenus included six species. By contrast, subgenus Laeviflora had incubously oriented leaves, less regularly pinnate branching, and a calyptra that was both thin and smooth throughout, or at least in the upper portion. Schiffner included seven primarily neotropical species in subgenus Laevflora, including T tomentosa. Spruce (1895) was the first to treat Leiomitra as a subgenus, subg. Leiomitra (Lindberg) Spruce. Subgenus Laeviflora (Gottsche) Schiffner has less than a three-week priority over subgenus Leiomitra (Lindberg) Spruce (15 January vs. 5 February fide Stafleu & Cowan, 1985). Leiomitra was included as a synonym of Trichocolea, without subgeneric status by, e.g., Stephani (1898-1924), who regarded the two genera as the same on developmental grounds; Verdoorn (1932); Evans (1939); Miller (1951-1958); Hatcher (1957); Fulford (1963); Gradstein (1989); Fulford and Sharp (1990); Gradstein and Florschtitz-de Waard (1990); and Schuster (1966). Little (1949: 10) lectotypified Leiomitra Lindberg with L. tomentosa (while including the genus in the synonymy of Trichocolea). Leiomitra was recognized as a distinct genus by Schuster (1980, 1984) and by Grolle (1983). Schuster and Grolle placed both Trichocolea and Leiomitra in the Trichocoleaceae. Schuster (1963) added a third genus to the Trichocoleaceae, Eotrichocolea Schuster, based on Trichocolea polyacantha (Hooker f. & Taylor) Gottsche et al. of New Zealand. Schuster (1980) discussed interconnections of the Trichocoleaceae with a group of genera that includes Temnoma in the Pseudolepicoleaceae Fulford & J. Taylor, and merged the two families into one family, Trichocoleaceae, with four subfamilies: Trichocoleoideae, Temnomoideae Schuster, Blepharostomatoideae Grolle, and Chaetocoleoideae Schuster (Schuster, 1980, 1984). Hatcher (1958) described Trichocolea julacea Hatcher, based on a plant from Stewart Island, New Zealand. Known only from the protologue, this speNovoN 9: 25-28. 1999. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.83 on Sun, 09 Oct 2016 05:24:34 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Studies on Vein Formation in the Leaf of the Fern Thelypteris palustris Schott

Sporophytes of the fern Thelypteris palustris Schott. were cultured from gametophytes, and leaf venation was examined in three ways. First, the vein pattern was evaluated over the heteroblastic sequence as venation shifts from dichotomous through anistomous to pinnate branching. The ratio of total vein length to leaf area is constant for leaves over this heteroblastic sequence, and pinnate branching alternates between left and right with an occasional pair of consecutive branches on the same side. Second, a new method of study, tracheid analysis, evaluates the length and deployment of tracheids in leaves as well as those of general epidermal cells. A terminal vein cell enlists a new cell into a vein from a hemispheric area of ca. 20 cells; vein branching occurs by two independent events of cell enlistment, one for each of two new branches. Vein fusion is not true fusion but an anastomosis where two veins run parallel along a leaf region. Third, puncturing experiments were performed on leaves in the fiddlehead stage. A damaged vein terminus leads to cessation of both vein extension and general growth in the injured region, whereas damage to marginal and intercostal areas does not alter development. These studies indicate that (a) a vein lengthens by enlistment of an unspecialized cell to become a specialized terminal cell of the vein; (b) this newly enlisted cell is one in a hemispheric field of ca. 20 uncommitted cells; and (c) timing of vein branching is determined more by the size of this field of cells rather than by the status of the vein itself. These features are compatible with Sachs's hypothesis of preferred channeling rather than Meinhardt's Turing type of model or Goebel's postulate that procambial cells are derived directly from the marginal meristem.

The taxonomy of Dasyphila plumarioides (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta)

Recent collections of cystocarpic Dasyphila plumarioides Yendo from the Great Barrier Reef, northeastern Australia, include the first records of its female gametophytes and have confirmed placement of the species in the genus Dasyphila, as predicted by several authors on the basis of vegetative, tetrasporangial, and spermatangial features. Common to both D. plumarioides and the type species of the genus, D. preissii Sonder, are (1) an alternating sequence of distichous lateral branches borne on terete main axes and separated by one to six axial cells; (2) six periaxial cells that are cut off in a staggered sequence, the second and third forming on alternate sides of the first, the fourth apparently forming opposite to the first, and the fifth and sixth forming on alternate sides of the fourth; (3) growth of a single determinate branchlet from each periaxial cell; (4) dense axial cortication composed of branched, basipetally directed rhizoids initiated on the basal cells of whorl branchlets; (5) a direct connection that forms between the foot cell and the fertile axial cell after the cutting off of the gonimoblast initial; (6) carposporophytes composed of several globular gonimolobes borne on clavate basal cells with long tapering tails; (7) carposporophytes surrounded by involucres of filaments derived from whorl-branchlets of several axial cells proximal to the fertile axial cell; (8) subterminal cystocarps on lateral branches; and (9) both spermatangia and tetrahedrally divided tetrasporangia borne terminally on rachises and pinnae of whorl-branchlets. Differences between D. plumarioides and D. preissii include (1) the former’s less robust thallus and smaller overall size; (2) its two- to three-times (vs three- to four-times) pinnate branching; (3) its far less dense investment of whorl-branchlets on primary axes and lateral branches; (4) the greater lengths and more regular pinnation of its two lateral whorl-branchlets in comparison to the four minor ones (as opposed to the equal development and irregularly pinnate branching of all six whorl-branchlets); and (5) its stoloniferous rather than discoid base. Considerations of anatomy and biogeography seem to support Wollaston’s suggestion that closest affinities of the Dasyphileae are more likely to be with the Crouanieae than with the Ptiloteae.

The Genera Thysananthus, Dendrolejeunea, and Fulfordianthus gen. nov. (Studies on Lejeuneaceae Subfamily Ptychanthoideae XXI)

The genus Thysananthus (Lejeuneaceae subfam. Ptychanthoideae) has about 10 species in two subgenera and occurs in rain forests throughout the tropics. The center of diversity is in Southeast Asia. Dendrolejeunea and Fulfordianthus are segregatedfrom Thysananthus on the basis of their dendroid growth habit, regularly pinnate branching, and differentiated cortex. Lack of trigones and oil bodies, and pycnolejeuneoid innovations, are the unique features of Fulfordianthus. A key is provided to the genera, subgenera, and species of this complex. Dendrolejeunea is monotypic andAsiatic in distribution whereas Fulfordianthus contains two species endemic to CentralAmerica and the Choc6 region of northwestern South America. These two genera are elements of the shaded understory ofold-growth tropical rain forest and their continued existence is threatened by destruction

Notes on Five Species of Anomodon, Some with Erroneous Identity, including Two New Combinations

Some comments on a rare Chinese endemic, Anomodon dentatus Gao, are presented. Anomodon fragillimus Herz., describedfrom Bolivia, is a synonym ofHaplohymenium triste (Ces.) Kindb., while A. perarmatus Williams from Peru is a synonym of Philonotis scabrifolia (Hook. f & Wils.) Braithw. Two new combinations are proposed: The transfer of A. tasmanicus Broth. and A. acutifolius Mitt. to the genera Triquetrella and Herpetineuron, respectively. During the course of a taxonomic revision of the genus Anomodon Hook. & Tayl., I found that certain species did not belong to the genus and thus should be transferred to other genera. Two species from the Andes described as Anomodon required reduction to synonymy with species other genera. The reasons for each of these rearrangements are discussed the present paper. Clarifying the taxonomic position of taxa from the Andes and Tasmania reveals that Anomodon does not occur the Southern Hemisphere. A detailed description is given for a rare Chinese endemic, A. dentatus Gao, previously only known from the original material. A third specimen (NY) belonging to this species (misidentified as A. attenuatus) was discovered. Most of the taxa discussed here have seldom been collected, as they come from somewhat unexplored areas, and therefore are poorly represented herbaria. ANOMODON DENTATUS Gao, Flora Musc. China Bor. Orient. 380. 1977. (FIG. 1-7, 18) This is a poorly known species. Its type specimen is from the Province of Jilin, east-central China, somewhat close to the border with North Korea, the mountain range of Tchangbaishan. Apparently, the only known reports are those from the two localities mentioned the protologue and one other specimen from the same mountain range as the holotype, collected and identified by Guo Qian (22108, 1981.9.24, NY) as A. attenuatus. Upon examination of this specimen I conclude that A. dentatus is a well-defined species, clearly distinct from other species of Anomodon. The following is an elaboration of the original description. Plants rather robust, similar to A. viticulosus habit and branching pattern but less robust, pinnate. Leaves adpressed when dry, secund or widely spreading when moist, abruptly constricted near the middle, apex usually broken off, upper part of lamina, above constriction, long and slender, bistratose, lingulate, somewhat spatulate because of a strongly and irregularly serrate apex, margins flat and parallel. Costa obscure above the constriction and becoming hardly visible, but reaching just short of apex; laminal cells multipapillose, papillae weakly branched. Basal cells well differentiated, smooth, with more or less sinuose walls, forming an extensive group that occupies half the leaf base, gradually becoming shorter and rhomboidal and merging with upper cells. Inflorescences present on the most terminal branches. Male inflorescences not seen. Sporophytes unknown. Anomodon dentatus is a distinctive species that, although more delicate, resembles A. abbreviatus Mitt. and A. viticulosus (Hedw.) Hook. & Tayl. its leaf morphology (lamina abruptly constricted, with a wide, ovoid basal portion and a long, narrow upper part). Its leaves, reflexed when dry, and the loss of the leaf apices are remindful of A. thraustus C. Muell., although it is unlikely to be mistaken for any of these species or any other the genus. The most characteristic features of the species are the pinnate branching pattern (more similar to species of Haplohymenium), the often linear to spatulate upper portion of the lamina, and the strongly serrate apex. This taxon seems to be endemic to the northeastern region of the People's Republic of China (Fig. 18), known only from the provinces of Kirin (or Jilin) and Liaoning: Chean-Schan, ad arborum radices, 1958 (non vide, paratypus). Specimens examined: CHINA. PROV. KIRIN: Tchangbaishan, in truncis arborum silvaticarum, 28.VI.1958, Ch. Gao 1231 HOLOTYPUS IFSBH (Shenyang); Tchangbaishan, Guo Qian 2108 (ut A. attenuatus, NY). I Present address: Unitat de Botinica, Facultat de Ciencies, Universitat Aut6noma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain. 0007-2745/89/381-386$0.75/0 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.93 on Tue, 02 Aug 2016 05:02:19 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 382 THE BRYOLOGIST [VOL. 92

Gelidiella calcicolasp. nov. (Rhodophyta) from the British Isles and Northern France

Gelidiella calcicola sp. nov. (Gelidiales, Gelidiaceae) is described from plants growing on loose-lying subtidal coralline algae and shells on southern, western and northern shores of the British Isles, and from Roscoff in Brittany, France. The species forms narrow, creeping axes attached at intervals by peg-like rhizoidal holdfasts. Irregularly pinnate branches arise at the points of attachment, arc downwards, and become attached and pinnately branched. No erect axes are formed; in all other described species of the genus Gelidiella at least some erect axes are formed from the creeping base. Internal rhizines, considered to be characteristic of all the genera of the Gelidiales except Gelidiella, are present in the medulla, but only at the attachment points. Surface cortical cells are large and usually arranged in chevron-like transverse rows. Tetrasporangia, formed only in the winter months, occur in lateral stichidia in chevron-like rows of 8–10 per row; they are spherical and apparently tetrahedrally or irregularly divided. Gametangial and carposporangial plants have not been found; these are known in only one species of the genus. Attempts to induce reproduction in vegetatively isolated plants in culture by subjecting them to a wide range of temperature and photoperiodic regimes in various enriched sea-water media strengths were unsuccessful. The new species is compared with Gelidium pusillum from the British Isles, and with the 21 previously described species of Gelidiella. The status of the family Gelidiellaceae is assessed and it is concluded that it should be merged with the Gelidiaceae. Some doubts are expressed as to the validity of the criteria used to delimit the genus Gelidiella.