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BFNA Title: Kindbergia |
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BRACHYTHECIACEAE -- Kindbergia
Plants medium-sized to robust, green to
yellow- or brownish green. Stems prostrate,
ascending to erect, with central strand, usually loosely foliate, regularly
pinnately branched, branches straight, densely or moderately terete foliate;
axillary hairs 4--5-celled; juvenile branch leaves acuminate. Stem leaves loosely arranged to
loosely imbricate, erecto-patent to reflexed or
squarrose, broadly triangular and tapered to a lanceolate acumen, proximally
cordate, long- and broadly decurrent; margin serrate distally, serrulate to
subentire proximally; costa reaching 0.7--0.9 of leaf length, sometimes
subpercurrent, ending with or rarely without a spine; basal cells adjacent to
the decurrency isodiametric to short-rectangular,
relatively large and thin-walled, forming an indistinct group; mid-laminal
cells rather short-elongate, moderately thick-walled, sometimes forming
tooth-like projections on dorsal surface. Branch leaves smaller and narrower, lanceolate to
ovate-lanceolate, acuminate; margins more strongly serrate than stem leaves;
back of costa and dorsal lamina more toothed than in stem leaves. Sexual
condition dioicous; perichaetial leaves abruptly contracted from
sheathing base to long, reflexed acumen. Seta
red-brown, usually strongly roughened. Capsule red-brown, inclined to horizontal, curved; annulus
separating; operculum long-rostrate, rostrum moderately wide; peristome xerocastique, perfect. Calyptra naked. Spores 12--17
\um. Kindbergia comprises a natural group of species
first recognized by H. Robinson (1962) who placed it in Bryhnia, but later segregated
it as the genus Stokesiella.
These species were previously treated within Eurhynchium or Oxyrrhinchium.
Nomenclatural problems required the substitution of the name illegitimate
name Stokesiella
with Kindbergia.
Molecular phylogenetic data support the position of Kindbergia near Bryhnia, and
distant from both Eurhynchium and Oxyrrhinchium (S. Huttunen and
M. S. Ignatov 2004). Species: 2--7
(2 in the flora): temperate areas of North and South America, Europe, Africa,
Asia (Middle East, Himalayan region), SELECTED
REFERENCES Giles, K. S. 1990. Taxonomic status of Eurhynchium brittoniae Grout (Brachytheciaceae:
Bryopsida). Taxon 39: 655--657. 1. Plants
large; branch leaves 1--2 x (0.6--)0.7--0.9(--1.2)
mm; sympodial branching rare; plants plumose . . 1. Kindbergia oregana 1. Plants
medium-sized; branch leaves (0.3--)0.6--1.2 x
(0.1--)0.25--0.4(--0.65) mm; sympodial branching common; plants not
conspicuously plumose. . 2. Kindbergia praelonga 1. Kindbergia oregana (Sullivant) Ochyra, Lindbergia 8: 54. 1982 Hypnum
oreganum Sullivant,
Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 172. 1849 Plants robust, green to yellow- or
brownish-green. Stems usually
10--25(--45) cm, usually simple; branches 6-10(--12) mm, almost always
simple. Stem leaves 1.2--2.2 x
0.8--1.2(--1.6) mm; mid-laminal cells 35--80 x 3.5--5(--6) \um. Branch leaves 1.0-2.0 x (0.6--)0.7--0.9(--1.2) mm. Seta
15--20 mm. Spores 12--16 \um. Litter,
soil rich in humus, rotten logs; in forests, usually in mesic, diffusely
lightened places; 0--600(--1300) m; B.C.; Kindbergia
oregana differs
from the most common morphotype of K. praelonga in its more robust stature and simple
branches, but the same characters differentiate “typical” K. praelonga from
K. praelonga var.
stokesii.
The latter can be differentiated from K.
oregana by occasional sympodial branching and
branch leaves up to 0.6(--0.65) mm wide, not 0.7--0.9 mm, as commonly can be
found in K. oregana.
In addition, the branch leaves of K. oregana are usually distinctly plicate and the
laminal cells are narrower and more thin-walled. 2. Kindbergia
praelonga (Hedwig) Ochyra, Lindbergia
8: 54. 1982 Hypnum
praelongum Hedwig, Sp. Musc. Frond., 258.
1801; Eurhychium brittoniae Grout E. praelongum (Hedwig)
Bruch, Schimper & Gümbel, E. praelongum var. stokesii (Turner) Dixon, E. praelongum var. californicum Grout, Kindbergia brittoniae (Grout) Ochyra Plants medium-sized to moderately robust,
usually green, rarely yellow-green. Stems
3--10 cm, often with sympodial branching; pinnate branches 6--10(--20) mm
long, often with secondary branches. Stem
leaves 0.7--1.4 x (0.5--)0.7--1.2 mm; mid-laminal cells 20--75 x 5--6
\um. Branch leaves (0.3--)0.6--1.2
x (0.1--)0.25--0.4(--0.65) mm. Seta
15--25 mm. Spores 12--17 \um. Soil
in mesic to wet places, usually in or near forests; 0--2000(--2560) m; B.C.; Alaska,
Calif., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Wash.;
Mexico; Central America; South America; Atlantic Islands; Europe; w Asia; n,
s Africa; Australia; Pacific Islands (New Zealand). Kindbergia
praelonga is
variable in both size and branching patterns. Two taxa have commonly been
recognized within this species, Eurhynchium praelongum var. stokesii and K. brittoniae
The former taxon is more robust than “typical” K. praelonga, and has mostly simple
branches, as with K. oregana. In contrast, K. brittoniae is a more slender plant
with slightly roughened to almost smooth setae. Transitions between these
extremes make it difficult to segregate either taxon (K. S. Giles 1990).
Recent results of L. Hedenäs (in prep. 2009) demonstrate that American and
European populations of K. praelonga are strongly differentiated genetically and
likely represent two species. However, morphological characters broadly
overlap providing no chance to separate them by morphology. If this is
accepted, the resurrection of the name K.
brittoniae for the American plants of K. praelonga
would occur. Kindbergia praelonga was
reported several times from the eastern OTHER
REFERENCES Huttunen S.
and M. S. Ignatov. 2004. Phylogeny of Brachytheciaceae
(Bryophyta), based on morphology and sequence level
data. Cladistics. 20: 151--183. Robinson, H.
1962 [1963]. Generic revisions of North American Brachytheciaceae.
Bryologist 65: 73--146. |
