Fissidens subundatus Dury in Bizot

Fissidens subundatus Dury in Bizot

( Fig. 8 View FIG )

Revue bryologique et lichénologique 42: 854 ( Bizot 1976).

— Lectotype (designated here): Madagascar • Antalaka ; sur les arbres d’une forêt primaire littorale dégradée (l’écorce est couverte de terre); Onraedt 71 M 5644; MNHN [ PC0096355 ]; isolectotype: slide by Theo Arts in BR.

REMARK

The protologue does not indicate where the type specimen is deposited. However, in her unpublished thesis ( Dury 1974) the author states that the type is in Bizot’s herbarium (now in PC). It appears that in Bizot’s herbarium there is only one F. subundatus specimen with a label matching the protologue. That specimen is designated the lectotype.

DESCRIPTION (EMENDED)

Corticolous, scattered between other mosses; in KOH brown; rhizoids brown, smooth; axillary nodules not differentiated; stem delicate, pale green, unbranched, 2.5-5.0 × 2.0- 2.5 mm, only fertile stems seen; leaves close, 7-14 pairs, more or less crispate when dry, oblong-lanceolate, broadly acute with short acumen, 0.8-1.5× 0.25-0.4 mm, 3-4 (-4.5) as long as wide, margin finely serrulate where elimbate; limbidium on the vaginant laminae of all leaves, nearly or completely extending the length of the vaginant laminae, occasionally excurrent on the apical lamina, marginal, sometimes intramarginal over a short distance, 14.5 µm wide, unistratose (estimated); vaginant lamina 1/2-̚⁄10 the leaf length, slightly open, near the insertion about as wide as the stem, slightly rounded ending concave at the insertion, unistratose (estimated); dorsal lamina slightly rounded at the insertion, reaching the insertion, not decurrent, dorsal and apical lamina unistratose (estimated); costa percurrent; lumina of mid dorsal laminal cells, 3.5-7.5×3.0-5.5 µm, lowly convex with a small central papilla; lumina of mid vaginant laminal cells 5.0-8.0 (-9.0) ×3.0-6.5 µm, lowly mammillose with a distinct, tiny papilla. Gemmae not observed.

Cladautoicous, perigonia on short, short bud-shaped or longer c. 4.5 mm long branches, antheridia ± 150 µm long; perichaetia terminal, a few archegonia solitary in the axils of upper leaves of perichaetial stems, perichaetial leaves c. 1.3 mm long; archegonia 250 µm long. Sporophyte, seta 1.2-2.0 mm long, smooth, 1 per perichaetium; theca 0.45 × 0.2 mm, with circa 32 columns of quadratic-oblong, collenchymatous exothecial cells; peristome probably a scariosus type (only basal OP seen), tooth base 33.5 µm wide; operculum, calyptra and spores not observed.

The semilimbate leaves, mammillose cells and the number of exothecial cells classify this species in subg. Polypodiopsis .