Redfearnia J.T.Wynns, Bryologist

Redfearnia J.T.Wynns, Bryologist View in CoL 123: 641. 2020.

Type species: Redfearnia homomallifolia (Redf.) J. T.Wynns.

Plants moderately small, in loose or compact mats, green or light green, glossy. Stems prostrate, irregularly to rather regularly pinnately branched, loosely to densely, terete or subcomplanate-foliate; branches flexuose or curved, terete, hyalodermis developed but sometimes incomplete, central strand weak; paraphyllia absent; proximal branch leaves surrounding branch primordia on stem lanceolate to ovate; axillary hairs 3-celled; rhizoids just below leaf insertion. Leaves from an erect base gradually reflexed to squarrose or erect-spreading, straight and homomallous to upturned-homomallous, ovate-lanceo-.

late, gradually or more or less abruptly tapered to the apex, gradually rounded to the base, not decurrent; margins plane, serrate all around by acute simple teeth and partly by ‘compound’ teeth, the ‘compound’ teeth rather perpendicular to the leaf margin, formed by projections of two cells; costa double or forked shortly above the base, short and weak, or occasionally with one branch extending to 0.5 the leaf length; laminal cells linear, rather thinwalled, smooth; alar cells quadrate to short rectangular, forming a small, indistinctly delimited group, leaf margins above alars with elongate hyaline cells. Autoicous. Perichaetial leaves somewhat larger than the stem leaves, with a single costa reaching midleaf, margin serrulate, laminal cells smooth. Setae long. Capsules inclined to horizontal, asymmetric, arcuate, strongly contracted below the mouth when dry and empty; operculum conic to shortly rostrate; annulus separated by fragments; peristome double, complete, with long cilia. Spores 9–18 µm.

We refer Redfearnia to the Amblystegiaceae , because: (1) it belongs to this family in all but one of the singlemarker trees ( Figs. 3–7 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig ); (2) it has proximal branch leaves occurring around dormant buds, whereas in the Plagiotheciaceae branch primordia remain for a long time leafless or ‘naked’ [we avoid the term ‘pseudoparaphyllia,’ which is applied to non-homologous structures ( Spirina et al., 2020)]; and (3) costa extending to mid-leaf in perichaetial leaves, whereas in the Plagiotheciaceae costa in perichaetial leaves is absent or thin and indistinct. We failed to find in Redfearnia any morphological features that would suggest its placement in Plagiotheciaceae rather than in Amblystegiaceae .

The differences between Redfearnia baii and Podperaea krylovii were discussed and illustrated by Ignatov & Milyutina (2011): (1) laminal cells are smooth in Redfearnia vs. distinctly prorate in Podperaea ; (2) simple teeth at the leaf margin prevail, while double teeth are few in Redfearnia vs. double teeth prevail in Podperaea ; (3) the capsule is long when mature in Redfearnia vs. short in Podperaea .

The genus includes two species; their distinctions are listed in Table 3 View Table 3 . The main differences seem to be the foliage pattern, leaf shape, and degree of leaf margin serration. In habit Redfearnia homomallifolia is most similar to Herzogiella turfacea , whereas P. baii is easily confused with Campylophyllopsis sommerfeltii (Myrin) Ochyra.

1. Redfearnia homomallifolia (Redf.) J.T.Wynns, Bryologist 123: 641. 2020. — Isopterygium homomallifolium Redf., Bryologist 76(3): 440–442. 1973. — Pseudotaxiphyllum homomallifolium (Redf.) Ireland, Caldasia 16(79): 267. 1991.

Described from USA, Texas (see type information in Wynns, 2020).

Illustrations and descriptions: Redfearn (1973); Ireland (1994); Ireland & Buck (2009); Ireland (2014); Wynns (2020).

Distribution and Ecology: USA: Arizona (Cochise, Navajo, and Santa Cruz counties), New Mexico (Dońa Ana County), Texas (Kimble County); Mexico: Sonora. At 1400-2000 m elev., on rocks and under rock ledges.

2. Redfearnia baii (Ignatov) J.T.Wynns, Bryologist 123: 641. 2020. — Podperaea baii Ignatov, Arctoa 20: 115. 2011. Fig. 9 View Fig .

Described from China, Inner Mongolia (see type information in Ignatov & Milyutina, 2011).

Illustrations and descriptions: Zhao et al. (2006); Bai (2010); Ignatov & Milyutina (2011).

Distribution and Ecology: At present Redfearnia baii is known from five areas (specimens are listed in Table 1 View Table 1 ), three in China and two in Russia.

1. China, Inner Mongolia, Manchan Mts. ( Figs. 10A– C View Fig ). The range is elevated ca. 500 m above the nearby lowland. Its slopes are under reforestation with Picea crassifolia Kom. The foothills have Pinus and xeric shrub vegetation, at ca. 1800 m becoming hemiboreal Betula forest with Lonicera, Sambucus, Convallaria, Pyrola, Trientalis , Pulmonaria, Vicia, Moehringia, etc.; Redfearnia baii grows on a soil bank along a trail with Tortula subulata Hedw. , Encalypta cf. rhaptocarpa Schwägr. , Fissidens cf. bryoides Hedw. , and Amblystegium . It was collected in May with very young sporophytes.

2. China, Inner Mongolia, Helan Mts. We did not see specimens from Helan Shan, alt. 1900 m, cited as # HQ 269 in Zhao et al. (2006), but according to the illustrations in Bai (2010) and Zhao et al. (2006), it is this species. The most common type of pine forest at this elevation, where collection was likely done, is shown in Fig. 10 D–E View Fig . For more about the forest of this area see Bai et al. (2011).

3. China, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot , on lawn near university, ca. 1100 m.

4. Russia, Khakassia, Abakan River, ca. 550 m; R. baii was collected in a flood valley with Populus stands, on rocks and on a soil bank at the base of a slope of the valley, in shade of trees ( Fig. 10F–G View Fig ).

5. Russia, Altai, Chulyshman valley, ca. 550 m., steppe slope with scattered shrubs and rock outcrops; Redfearnia baii grows on soil near rocks, and often close to shrub trunks, especially those that provide deep shade under their canopies ( Fig. 11 View Fig ); Rhododendron ledebourii Pojark. , Caragana arborescens Lam. , and Lonicera microphylla Willd. ex Schult. are the most common shrub species, where we collected Redfearnia baii in this area.

The common feature of all these areas is that they are rather xeric and therefore poor in bryophytes. Mosses are scattered and occur as scanty patches, and since these places are well exposed to sun, they often look depauperate and non-attractive for bryophyte collectors. It seems likely that Redfearnia baii (and maybe R. homomallifolia as well) will be found in many more localities after intentional search, which these plants deserve.