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11. CORSINIACEAE Engler
Alan
T. Whittemore
Plants thallose, 10--40 x
3--6 mm, branching dichotomous; thallus dorsal surface plane or with a narrow
median groove; dorsal pores simple, cells surrounding pores with thin walls;
air chambers isodiametric, with or without green filaments. Ventral
scales irregularly scattered [or in 2 regular rows], tapering to slender
apices that function as appendages but are not clearly set off from body of
scale. Brood bodies absent. Antheridia in well-differentiated,
dorsal, sessile receptacles [scattered over dorsal surface of thallus]. Sporophytes
enclosed in a fleshy calyptra on dorsal surface of thallus [grouped in
stalked carpocephala], embedded in involucres,
indehiscent, spores liberated by disintegration of wall and surrounding
gametophytic tissues; foot well developed, seta short; sterile cells in spore
mass globose to ellipsoid, thin-walled or with lax annular or spiral
thickenings.
Genera
3, species ca. 12 (1 genus and 1 species in the flora): North America, West Indies, South America,
Europe, sw Asia, Atlantic
Islands.
The
parenthetical characters in the description of Corsiniaceae
largely represent the exotic genus Exormotheca, which bears its sporophytes in a raised carpocephalum.
1. CORSINIA Raddi, Opusc. Sci. 2: 354.
1818 * [For Tommaso Corsini,
1767-1856, Florentine politician]
Thallus rather delicate,
epidermis sometimes rupturing on older parts of thallus, exposing interior of
air chambers. Antheridia in linear receptacles in median groove of
thallus. Involucres each located in an individual pit along median line of
thallus, often with a narrow flap to ca 0.6 mm across that contains air
chambers projecting upward from anterior edge of the pit; upper part of
involucre breaking away at maturity and carrying away the upper capsule wall
to expose the spore mass. Spores tetrahedral, with a wing
margin.
Species
1: North America, West Indies, South
America, Europe, sw Asia, Atlantic Islands.
1. Corsinia coriandrina (Sprengel)
Lindberg, Hepaticol. Utveckl., 30. 1877
Riccia coriandrina Sprengel, Anleit. Kenntn. Gew. 3: 320. 1804
Thalli densely cespitose, pale green with decolorate
margins, simple or once dichotomous, when dry plane or loosely incurved,
older parts often folded along midline.
Ventral scales inconspicuous. Sexual
condition autoicous or dioicous. Involucres irregularly spherical in
shape, 0.8--1.0 mm across. Spores brown, 100-130 /um, outer face
ornamented with raised polygons separated by a regular network of grooves,
inner faces smooth.
Soil;
75--175 m; Tex.; South America; Europe; sw Asia;
Atlantic Islands.
Corsinia coriandrina is known from scattered sites across the warmer parts of the world. In the flora area, it is
known only from a small area in east-central Texas. It has sometimes been
called Corsinia marchantioides
Raddi, an illegitimate name.
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