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BFNA Title: Sphaerocarpaceae |
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SPHAEROCARPACEAE Stephen L.
Timme Plants dioicous, strongly dorsiventally flattened,
with alternate, unlobed wings (lobes, leaf scales). Branching symmetrically
pseudodichotomous or simple. Rhizoids present, unbranched,
smooth-walled, colorless, arising at the base or near the base of the ventral
surface or along the costal region. Ventral
scales absent. Cells thin-walled and lacking noticeable oil
bodies. Gametangia developing acropetally, one per involucre. Antheridia
and archegonia developing in 1-stratose, somewhat bottle-shaped or
tubular involucres, generally scattered over the dorsal surface. Sporangia
with a very short or essentially lacking seta. Capsule cleistocarpic,
1-stratose, nurse cells (sterile cells) present; elaters absent. Spores
remaining in tetrads or separating at maturity. Genera
2 (2 in the flora): on soil in subtropical to temperate areas; North America,
South America, Europe, Africa, Australia. SELECTED
REFERENCE Shuster, R. M. 1992.
The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America, East of the Hundredth
Meridian. Chicago. 1.
SPHAEROCARPOS Boehmer, Nova Plant. Genera 4, pl. 3. 1729 * [Greek, sphaero
+ carpos, globose fruit, for shape of capsule] Stephen L.
Timme Plants as short-lived annuals, heterothallic, hyaline
green, light green to bright green, sometimes becoming reddish or purplish,
2- to multistratose in the median region, grading to 1-stratose and entire
lobes (wings). Antheridial plants generally 0.1--0.3 times smaller
than the archegonial. Archgonial plants 2--15 mm in diameter; lobes 1-stratose, not divided or
lobed, generally succubous. Cells lacking trigones, quadrate to
hexagonal. Sporangia ovoid. Seta very short, not elongating, of
4 cell rows. Spores large, spore wall reticulate or not, faces aerolate; aerole with or without tubercles, cristatae, lamellae, crenulae
or spines. Species
8--10 (6 in flora): terrestrial specialists almost always occupying disturbed
or temporary habitats; nearly worldwide, but disjunct, sporatic and localized
throughout range; North America, South America, Europe, s Africa, s
Australia. With
species of this genus, the capsules mature February through May. SELECTED
REFERENCES Campbell, D. H. 1940.
The Evolution of Land Plants.
Stanford, Calif.
Crandall-Stotler, B. and R. E. Stotler. 2000. Morphology and
classification of the Marchantiophyta.
In: Bryophyte Biology, A. Jonathan Shaw and B. Goffinet, eds. Cambridge Univ. Press, New York. Pp. 21-70. Frye, T. C. and L. Clark.
1937. Hepaticae of North America. Univ. Wash. Publ. Biol. 6: 1--162. Haynes, C. C. 1910. Sphaerocarpos
hians sp. nov., with a revision of the genus and illustrations of the
species. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 37:
215--230. McGregor, R. L. 1955.
Taxonomy and ecology of Kansas Hepaticae. Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull. 37:
55--141. Proskauer, J. 1948.
The Sphaerocarpales of South Africa.
J.. S. Africa Bot. 21: 63--75.
Schuster, R. M. 1992. The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America, East of the
Hundredth Meridian. Chicago. Schuster, R. M. 1984. Evolution,
Phylogeny and Classification of the Hepaticae. In: R. M. Schuster, ed. New Manual of Bryology, Vol. 2, pp.
892--1070. Nichinan, Miyazaki, Japan. 1.
Spores separating at maturity. 2. Spores less than 85 µm in diameter,
pale yellow to yellowish-brown; archegonial involucres less than 1.4 mm . . .
1. Sphaerocarpos cristatus 2. Spores 85 µm or greater,
blackish-brown to yellowish-brown; archegonial involucres 1.5 mm or longer;
southeastern U.S.A. . . .2. Sphaerocarpos donnellii 1.
Spores remaining in tetrads at maturity. 3. Spore surface with thickenings in
parallel or nearly parallel lines, occasionally with reticulations . . .3. Sphaerocarpos
drewei 3. Spore surface with thickenings
definitely reticulate, not in parallel lines. 4. Apex of the archegonial involucre
with a large ostiole greater than 50 µm, generally as wide as the medial
portion of the involucre; involucres tubular to ovoid; spore tetrads less
than 90 µm at maturity . . . 4. Sphaerocarpos hians 4. Apex of the archegonial involucre
with a small ostiole less than 140 µm, mouth contracted; involucres
flask-shaped, obpyriform, clavate, obovoid to subglobose; spore tetrads
generally more than 90 µm at maturity. 5. Tetrads spinose in profile, less
than 135 µm at maturity . . . .5. Sphaerocarpos michelii 5. Tetrads crenulate in profile,
greater than 135 µm at maturity . . . 6. Spaherocarpos texanus 1. Sphaerocarpos cristatus M. A. Howe,
Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 7: 66. 1899 Archegonial plants 2.5--8.5 mm in diameter; lobes nearly orbicular. Involucres
0.8--1.3 mm, densely aggregated, nearly obscuring the thallus, cylindrical to
obovoid, rounded to the apex. Antheridial
plants to 2 mm long, cuneate, often bifurcate. lobes ovate to oblong, involucres
500--585 µm high, bottle-shaped, expanded at the base and abruptly narrowed
and becoming tubular toward the apex.
Sporangia 500 µm or more.
Spores of tetrads separating before maturity, yellowish to
yellowish-brown, 48--83 µm in diameter, somewhat aerolate, mostly cristate, appearing
to radiate from near the middle, lacking medial tubercle, ridges sinuous to
slightly crenulate, 3.8--7 µm high, appearing to radiate from the central
part of the face, slightly anastomosing, with 1--6 aerolae across the face. On
soil; low elevations; Calif. Rare,
known only from California in Alameda, Tulare, San Joaquin, and Santa Clara
counties. 2. Sphaerocarpos donnellii Austin, Bull.
Torrey Bot. Club 6: 157. 1877 Sphaerocarpos terrestris Underwood & Cook, Hep. Amer. no.
61 (Exsic.). 1890 Archegonial plants 8--10 × 4-7 mm, solitary or forming mats, lobes divided to the costa, oblong
to obcuneate, sinuous, marginal cells ca. 30 × 68 µm; involucres 1.5--2.4 mm high, tubular, ovoid, ellipsoid to
pyrifrom, truncate at the apex, orifice rounded. Antheridial plants 2.5--4 mm in diameter, lobes divided to the costa or nearly
so, cuneiform to obdeltoid, sinuous; involucres
flask-shaped, 0.5-1.1 mm high. Sporangia
700--855 µm. Spores of tetrad
separating at maturity, 85--135 µm, nearly tetrahedral, yellowish, dark brown
to blackish-brown, basal margin lobed and dentate, aerolae 3--4 across the face, surface granulate, 13--27 µm in
diameter, ridges generally appearing wrinkled, blunt to spinose at the
intersections and thus appearing spinose or nearly so in profile, central
tubercle generally present in each aerola, to 24 µm high. Damp
sandy soil, muddy shores, organic muck over coral limestone; low elevations;
Fl., Ga., Miss., S.C, Va. This
species is very localized and restricted to the Southeastern Coastal
Plain. 3. Sphaerocarpos drewii
Wigglesworth, Univ. Calif. Pubs. Bot. 16: 129. 1929 Archegonial plants 1--1.5 mm long, bifurcate, sometimes
with an elongated branch, becoming reddish or purplish at the margins, lobes wedge-shaped, ca. 550 µm wide
with quadrate marginal cells; involucres
cylindric to obovate, 0.5--1.1 mm high, crowded over the thallus and nearly
obsuring it. Antheridal plants ca.
1--1.5 mm long, lobes somewhat
wedge-shaped; marginal cells isodiametric, involucres flask-shaped, to 365 µm high. Sporangium 335--595 µm. Spores remaining in tetrads at
maturity, 65--155 µm, brown to dark-brown; lamellae granulate and occasionally lobed, running parallel to
one another or nearly so, occasionally branching, lacking tubercles; not reticulate. Soil;
low elevations; known only from Calif. (San Diego county). This
and the following species are the rarest of the North American Sphaerocarpos. 4. Sphaerocarpos hians Haynes,
Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 37: 225. 1910 Archegonial plants 3.5--7 mm in diameter, growing in
isolated tufts, lobes crispate
and somewhat ascending, involucres 1--2.5
mm high, tubular, ovoid, to obovate, generally flaring at the apex; orifice
large, wider than or as wide as the involucral apex or nearly so. Antheridial plants 1.8--2.1 mm in
diameter, cuneate, oblong to orbicular, involucres 235--415 µm high,
greenish, becoming purplish with age, vase-shaped, narrowing toward the apex
or obovate. Sporangia 570--590
µm. Spores in permanent tetrads at maturity, 62--85 µm,
yellowish-brown, cristate, ridges to 5 µm high, forming reticulae or in
parallel lines, crenulate to tuberculate in profile, areolae present, 4--6 across the face, sometimes with 1--2
tubercules. Damp
clay or alluvial soils; low elevations; Idaho, Oreg., Wash. This
species and S. drewii are the
rarest of North American Sphaerocarpos. 5. Sphaerocarpos michelii Bellardi,
App. ad Fl. Pedem, 1792; Mem. Acad. Roy. Sci. Turin 5: 258. 1793 Sphaerocarpos sphaerocarpus Howe Archegonial plants 8--13 mm in diameter, lobes ovate, involucres generally obscuring the
thallus, 1.3--2.6 mm high, nearly obovoid, clavate, tubular, pyriform to
nearly globose, orifice small. Antheridial
plants ca. 1 mm in diameter, lobes
generally arching over the involucres, involucres 250--330 µm high.
Sporangia 735--760 µm. Spores
remaining in tetrads, 80--125 µm, brownish to nearly black at maturity, aerolae 6--9 across the face, each
ca. 12--20 µm in diameter, occasionally with a central tubercle, ridges at
the junctions spinose, 7--12 µm high.
Damp
soil of fallow fields, sandy soil of tall-grass prairies, and soils of
seasonal flooding; Kan., Tex., Mo. (Howell County), S.C. (Chester County),
Va. (York County); South America (Argentina); Europe; Atlantic Islands
(Canary Islands). This
species is found in in eastern Kansas and a few counties in Texas as
scattered and isolated populations, while being rare elsewhere. It is very similar to S. texanus. 6. Sphaerocarpos texanus Austin,
Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 6: 158, 1877 Sphaerocarpos berterii Austin; S. californicus Austin;
S. michelii var. californicus Underwood Archegonial plants 6--15 mm in diameter, nearly orbicular
to cuneate; bright green to hyaline green, central axis 2- to multistratose, lobes 1-stratose, crispate, obovate
to slightly obdeltoid, apex rounded, involucres
sessile, generally 2--2.6 mm high, obpyriform, fusiform, ellipsoid to
slightly clavate, contracted to the orifice, mouth very small. Antheridial plants 2--6 mm in
diameter, green to nearly hyaline green, lobes cuneiform to obdeltoid, involucres 260--360 µm high, crowded over the dorsal surface,
orbicular, oblong to flask-shaped. Sporangia
ca. 620--700 µm. Spores permanently
united in tetrads, yellowish-brown to dark-brown, 115--175 µm, granulate to
areolate, areolae 5--7 across the face, lacking a median tubercle,
reticulations 15--30 µm in diameter, crenulate or not. Soils
of disturbed areas and areas of seasonal flooding; Ala., Ark., Calif., Fla.,
Ga., Ill., Kans., Ky., La., Miss., Mo., N.C., Okla., Oreg., S.C., Tenn.,
Tex., Va., Wash.; South America (Uruguay); s and c Europe, n Africa; Atlantic
Islands (Canary Islands); Australia.
This
is the most widespread and commonest species of Sphaerocarpos. It is considered weedy because of its
apparent habitat preference. Sphaerocarpos
texanus has not been reported from the Intermontane region of North
America, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, New
Mexico, Idaho, and Montana, or from the very northcentral and northeastern
regions of the flora area. |