Cryptogamie, Bryol., 2001, 22 (1): 53-57 © 2001 Adac/Editions scientifiques et m6dicales Elsevier SAS. Tous droits r6serv6s S 1290079600010488/FLA

53

Remarks on the chorology, habitat and morphology of Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens (K. Koppe & Drill) Hedeniis

in the Iberian Peninsula

Juan GUERRA *, Maria J. CANO, Rosa M. ROS, Juan A. JIMENEZ & M. Teresa GALLEGO

Departamento de Biologia Vegetal (Botdnica), Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain

(Received 16 March 2000, accepted 11 September 2000)

A b s t r a c t - The occurrence of Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens (K. Koppe & DOll) Heden~is in the Iberian Peninsula (S Spain) is confirmed. Besides earlier reported morphological differences between P. laetevirens and P. elegans (Brid.) Z. Iwats., the two differ in their habitats. Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans occurs in very humid terricolous communities, while P. laetevirens is found in fssures of rock in very open places. © 2001 Adac / ]~ditions scientifiques et m6dicales Elsevier SAS

Pseudotaxiphyllum I southern Spain / Iberian Peninsula.

Resumen - - Se confirma la presencia en la peninsula Ib6rica de Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens (K. Koppe & Drill) Heden~is. Ademfis de constatar las diferencias morfol6gicas con P. elegans (Brid.) Z. Iwats., se indica que ambos tfixones presentan diferente h~ibitat en las zonas del sur de Espafia donde se han encontrado. © 2001 Adac / Editions scientifiques et m&licales Elsevier SAS

PseudotaxiphyUuml Sur de Espafia/peninsula Ib6rica

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Isopterygium laetevirens Dixon & Luisier nom. nud. was considered to be a variety of Isopterygium elegans (Brid.) Lindb. (as I. elegans var. laetevirens K. Koppe & DUll) by Koppe & Drill (1986), a species with which it has a marked morphological resemblance. Later, Heden~is (1992a) transferred this taxon to the genus Pseudotaxiphyl- lure Z. Iwats.

For a long time, Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens (K. Koppe & DUll) Heden~is was considered endemic to Madeira and the Azores. Although Drill (1985) mentioned its presence in Spain, he did not mention any locality. In Koppe & Diill (1986), the Iberian locality is mentioned (near Algeciras, Valle de la Miel). However, this record was not included in the Spanish check-list of Casas (1991), perhaps because it appears at the end of a remark about the distribution of the taxon (cf. Koppe & DUll, 1986: 45).

* Correspondence and reprints: jguerra@fcu.um.es

54 J. Guerra, M.J. Cano, R.M. Ros, J.A. Jim6nez & M.T. Gallego

During recent fieldwork in the Parque de los Alcornocales (C~idiz and Mfilaga provinces), we collected some specimens that do not fit within the variation of Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans (Brid.) Z. Iwats, which is very frequent in this area. For this reason, we thought it might be P laetevirens, and this was confirmed by Lars Heden~is.

Consequently, because this species was problematic in some aspects, some remarks on the chorology, habitat, and morphology of P. laetevirens are presented in order to improve the knowledge of this species.

MORPHOLOGY

Heden~is (1992a, 1992b) very clearly describes the morphological features which distinguish Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens from P. elegans.

From the Spanish material of these species collected by us, the most diagnostic characters are, in our opinion, the following: the plants of P. laetevirens are less glossy and more yellowish than those of P. elegans; P. laetevirens has leaves pointing in all directions, although usually they are directed obliquely upwards, and generally are not complanate, while P. elegans has markedly complanate leaves, which are curved downwards; the leaf margins are less denticulate than in P elegans, where only some distant teeth can be appreciated in the upper part of the leaf; the apical leaf cell is markedly longer (35-50/am) than in P. elegans (10-20(30) lam); the median lamina cells are also longer (90-180~tm) than in P. elegans (50-110 ~m). However, both species usually present flagelliform branchlets and bud-like or clavate multicellular gemmae with apical leaf primordia (Fig. 1).

HABITAT

In the studied area, Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens shows a very different ecological behaviour from P elegans. The latter species is very frequent in the area, occurring in very humid, humiferous, and acidophilous bryophyte terricolous communi- ties with Calypogeia arguta Nees & Mont., C. fissa (L.) Raddi, Cephalozia bicuspidata (L.) Dumort., Pallavicinia lyellii (Hook.) Carruth., etc. (Calypogeio-Pallavicinietum lyelii Guerra, Gil & Varo 1981, Pogonato-Dicranelletea heteromallae von Hiibschmann 1967). These communities are found in areas with high air humidity, in laurel forest with Rhododendron ponticum L., Frangula alnus Mill., llex aquifolium L., and Laurus nobilis L. (Pruno-Lauretea azoricae Oberdorfer ex Rivas-Martfnez, Amaiz, Barreno & Crespo). However, Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens occurs in small crevices and fissures of rocks in very open places, together with Dicranum scoparium Hedw., Polytrichum piliferum Hedw., and Campylopus brevipilus Bruch & Schimp., in communities of Ceratodonto- Polytrichetea piliferi von HiJbschmann 1967. The two species, thus, show very distinct habitat preferences, in addition to the morphological differences described by Heden~is (1992a, 1992b).

DISTRIBUTION AND STUDIED MATERIAL

The presence of Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens in the Parque de los Alcorno- cales (C~idiz-M~ilaga) is not surprising because it is an area very close to the Straits of

Remarks on PseudotaxiphyUum laetevirens 55

, , °

, j

Fig. 1. Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens (K. Koppe & Drill) Hedenas (from MUB 9507). 1-2. Branch leaves; 3--4. Apical cells of branch leaves; 5. Marginal leaf cells; 6. Alar leaf cells; 7. Mid-leaf cells. Scale bars: a = 200 lam (for 1-2); b = 50 ~rn (for 3-7).

56 J. Guerra, M.J. Cano, R.M. Ros, J.A. Jim6nez & M.T. Gallego

® Allar J

de :era 1

\s"

CasLellar Nuevo

Zahara de Los Atunes

lOKm

inea

N

T Fig. 2. Map showing the localities of Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens (K. Koppe & Drill) Heden~is (stars) in the study area (Parque de los Alcornocales, southern Spain).

Remarks on Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens 57

Gibraltar, with an average annual rainfall in excess of 1 000 mm. Fog is a frequent occurrence and there is cryptorainfall in the higher parts. There are numerous additional bryophyte species of Macaronesian distribution, which are confined to the relictic laurel forest with Rhododendron ponticum or Quercus canariensis Willd., such as Frullania teneriffae (F. Weber) Nees, Homalia webbiana (Mont.) Schimp., Lepidopilum virens Cardot, Neckera intermedia Brid., Porella canariensis (F. Weber) Bryhn, Tetrastichium fontanum (Mitt.) Cardot, Ulota calvescens Wilson (cf. Allorge & Allorge, 1945; Guerra et al., 1980, 1981; Rumsey & Vogel, 1999).

Studied spanish specimens: Cfidiz, Los Barrios, Sierra del Nifio, canutos de la Garganta del Nifio, 30STF6607, Guerra, 23.8.1999 (MUB 9507); Cfidiz, Castellar de la frontera, La Almoraima, Carlo del Agua del Guadarranque, 30STF7820, Guerra, 26.11.1999 (MUB 9506) (Fig. 2).

Acknowledgements. We are grateful to Lars Heden~is for the revision of some Spanish material of Pseudotaxiphyllum laetevirens and P elegans. This research was carded out with financial support from DGES of Spain (Project PB97-1111-C01) and from the Autonomous Government of Andalusia (Convenio C-JB-3001-PR-0).

REFERENCES

ALLORGE V. & ALLORGE E, 1945 - - La v6g6tation et les groupements muscinaux des montagnes d'Algesiras. M~moires du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle 21 (3): 85-116.

CASAS C., 1991 - - New checklist of Spanish mosses. Orsis 6: 3-26. DOLL R., 1985. - - Distribution of the European and Macaronesian mosses (Bryophytina). Part II.

Bryologische Beitrtige 5: 110-232. GUERRA J., GIL J.A. & VARO J., 1980 - - Dos bri6fitos nuevos para Europa continental. Boletim

da Sociedade Broteriana 54: 173-179. GUERRA J., GIL J.A. & VARO J., 1981 - - Aportaci6n al conocimiento de las clases

Pogonato-Dicranelletea heteromallae Htibschmann 1975 y Ceratodo-Polytrichetea .. piliferi Htibschmann 1967 en el sur de Espafia y Portugal. Lazaroa 3: 101-119.

HEDENAS L., 1992a - - Flora of Madeiran Pleurocarpous mosses (Isobryales, Hypnobryales, Hookeriales). Bryophytorum Bibliotheca 44: 1-116.

HEDEN,~S L., 1992b - - Notes on Madeiran Pseudotaxiphyllum, Brachythecium and Rhynchost- egiella species (Bryopsida). Nova Hedwigia 54: 447-457.

KOPPE E & D(JLL R., 1986 - - Beitr~ige zur Moosflora Madeiras. Bryologische Beitriige 6: 32-48. RUMSEY EJ. & VOGEL J.C., 1999 - - Tetrastichium fontanum (Mitt.) Card. new to mainland

Europe. Journal of Bryology 21: 72-73.