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BFNA Title: Moerckia |
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XX. MOERCKIA
Gottsche, Hepat. Eur., 121. 1860 * [For Axel Moeller Moerck (or Mørch),
1797--1876, one of compilers of Flora Danica] Vadim Bakalin Plants 10--40 x 4--10 mm, translucent green
to light, yellowish or deep green, old portions of thalli and perichaetial
apices brownish; mostly furcately branched. Thallus plane, margins plane to undulate, entire to crispate,
median vascular strands present or absent, best visible in cross section. Rhizoids golden brown to brown,
purplish, or colorless, distributed along ventral surface of costa. Thallus with 1-stratose wings 10--30
cells wide, or wider but 1-stratose up to well defined costa, margin plane to
crispate. Laminar cells
thin-walled, near margin 25--70 x 25--40 \um, polygonal. Oil-bodies in marginal part of lamina mostly 5--50 per cell,
spherical to shortly ellipsoidal, almost smooth to loosely botryoidal. Slime hairs of 1--12 cylindrical
cells, brownish basally or colorless, sometimes bifurcate or terminating in a
colorless clavate slime papilla. Sexual condition dioicous. Androecium a continuous band of erect
to squarrose scale-like edentate to dentate lamellae, each usually with 1
antheridium in its axil. Gynoecia
formed on dorsal side of costa, outer involucre of quadrate to cuneate or irregular,
entire or ciliate scales (bractlets); inner involucre (pseudoperianth)
ellipsoidal-cylindric or tubular, 4--8 mm high, dentate or ciliate-laciniate
at mouth. Capsule ellipsoidal,
2(-4)-valved, (2--)4--6-stratose. Species
3 (3 in the flora): North America, SELECTED
REFERENCE Crandall-Stotler B. J. and
R. E. Stotler 2007. On the identity of Moerckia
hibernica (Hook.) Gottsche (Moerckiaceae fam. nov., Marchantiophyta).
Nova Hedwigia. 131: 41--59. 1. Rhizoids
golden-brown to brown, sometimes with purplish tint; antheridial scales
entire to loosely crenulate, sometimes similar scales distributed along
costal region in sterile plants; thallus margin coarsely crispate; no
conducting stands in costa cross section … 1. Moerckia blyttii 1. Rhizoids
colorless, antheridial scales dentate, not present in sterile plants; thallus
margin plane or crispate; conducting stands present or absent … 2. 2.
Costa sharply set off from the lamina, obovate in cross section and suddenly
thinning to 1-stratose margin, without conducting stands; thallus margin
plane and entire … 2. Moerckia
hibernica 2.
Costa more or less gradually thinning into 1-stratose lamina, obtrapezoidal
in cross section, conducting stands present (but sometimes obscurely
visible); thallus margin undulate to crispate … 3. Moerckia flotoviana 1. Moerckia blyttii (Moerck ex Hornemann) Brockmüller
Arch. Vereins Freunde Naturgesch. Jungermannia blyttii Moerck ex
Hornemann, Fl. Dan. 12: 6. 1830 Plants 10--30 x 4--9 mm. Thallus margins frequently distinctly and coarsely undulate to
undulate-crispate, costa moderately well-defined, ventrally convex, and
gradually thinning to the 1-stratose wings, without visible median vascular
strands. Rhizoids golden-brown to
brown. Thallus with 1-stratose
wings 10--16 cells wide, laminar cells thin-walled, near margin 28--70 x
25--35 \um, polygonal, cells slightly elongated along margin. Oil-bodies in marginal part of lamina
(2--) 5--10(--12) per cell, spherical to shortly ellipsoidal, almost smooth
to loosely botryoidal; slime hairs formed of 1--2(-3) cylindrical cells,
brownish basally, terminating in a colorless clavate slime papilla. Androecia with entire antheridial
scales, similar scale like structures (without antheridia) frequently formed
on sterile and female thalli. Gynoecia
with bractlets entire; inner involucre (pseudoperianth) tubular, 5--8 mm
high, ciliate-laciniate at mouth. Seta
10--20 mm. Capsule
ovoid-cylindric, wall 4--5-stratose. Elaters
ca. 7 \um wide. Spores 30--42
\um, not areolate. Fine-grained
soil in wet snow-bed habitats, on peat in oligotrophic bogs, commonly areas
with oceanic climate; low or occasionally moderate elevations; 2. Moerckia
hibernica (Hooker)
Gottsche, Hepat. Eur., 121. 1860 Jungermannia hibernica Hooker
Brit.
Jungermann., pl. 78. 1816 Plants 15--35 x 3--5 mm. Thallus with costa well-defined, ventrally convex, more or less
abruptly thinning to 1-stratose lamina, in cross section obovate, without
visible vascular strands. Rhizoids
colorless. Thallus margin entire
and plane. Thallus lamina cells
thin-walled, near margin 25--45 x 25--40 \um, polygonal, subisodiametrical to
elongate; surface of thallus smooth outside area with androecia or gynoecia. Oil-bodies in marginal part of lamina
minute and numerous, 18--50 per cell, virtually smooth. Androecia with antheridial scales, similar scale like structures
(without antheridia) never formed on sterile and female thalli. Gynoecia with bractlets deeply
laciniate; inner involucre (pseudoperianth) ellipsoidal-cylindrical, 4--7 mm
high, dentate at mouth. Seta ca.
40 mm. Capsule oblong-elliptic,
reddish brown, up to 2.5 mm, wall mostly 2-stratose. Spores 30--42 \um, not areolate. Elaters ca. 8--10 \um wide. In basic bogs
developed over calcareous glacial deposits, growing among and over mosses; low
to moderate elevations; Alta., B.C., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Ont., 3. Moerckia flotoviana (Nees) Schiffner Oesterr. Bot. Z. 51:
41, plate 43. 1901 Cordaea flotoviana Nees
Flora, 16: 405. 1833 Plants 15--35 mm x 3--5 mm. Thallus with costa well defined,
ventrally convex, more or less gradually thinning to 1-stratose lamina, in
cross section obtrapezoidal, conducting strands visible (bust sometimes
poorly defined) in cross section. Rhizoids
colorless. Thallus margin plane to
crispate and undulate. Thallus lamina
cells thin-walled, near margin 25--45 x 25--40 \um, polygonal,
subisodiametrical to elongate; surface of thallus smooth outside area with
androecia or gynoecia. Oil-bodies
in marginal part of lamina minute and numerous, 18--50 per cell, virtually
smooth. Androecia with antheridial
scales; similar scale-like structures (without antheridia) never formed on
sterile and female thalli. Gynoecia
with bractlets deeply laciniate; inner involucre (pseudoperianth)
ellipsoidal-cylindrical, 4--7 mm high, dentate at mouth. Seta 40 mm. Capsule
oblong-elliptic, reddish brown, to 2.5 mm, wall mostly 3--4-stratose. Spores 40--50 \um, not areolate. Elaters ca. 7 \um wide. Wet slopes
over calcareous substrates along streams, more rarely in springy oligotrophic
bogs; low to moderate elevations; Alta., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Nunavut,
Ont., Que.; Alaska, Conn., Maine, Mass., Mich., Nebr., N.H., N.Y., Pa., Wash.,
Wis.; Europe. |