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Hornworts and Liverworts of Romania ROMANIAN ACADEMY |
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Scapania gymnostomophila in Romania
In 2007, the research of bryophytes was focused on the alpine zone of the Caraiman Mountains, Bucegi Massif, from 2100 m to 2400 m altitude. In this area, annual mean temperature is 0 °C and annual mean precipitation is about 1200 mm. In samples of bryophytes collected from Bucegi Massif, Caraiman Mountain, 2330 m alt., on the 20th of June 2007, I identified the liverwort Scapania gymnostomophila Kaal., leg. & det. Ştefănuţ S., conf. Váňa J. [BUCA B3722, B3723]. This plant grows together with Ditrichum flexicaule and Cephaloziella rubella, on basic conglomerates substrate. Scapania gymnostomophila (syn.: Diplophyllum gymnostomophilum (Kaal.) Kaal., D. incurvum Bryhn & Kaal., Martinellia gymnostomophila (Kaal.) Arnell & C.E.O.Jensen, Sphenolobus gymnostomophilus (Kaal.) Schiffn.), known as Narrow-lobed Earwort is a calciphilous liverwort, very distinctive from other Scapania species through solitary large oil-bodies in the middle leaf cells and very small dorsal lobes (fig. 3). The size and position of the lobes make this plant like the Diplophyllum species (figs. 1,2). The samples from Bucegi Massif are small, brownish, with 1.2 – 1.6 mm wide × 5 - 10 mm long shoots. The dried plants have a very distinct curvature of the leaves towards their dorsal side. This curvature makes these plants similar to Tritomaria exsectiformis (Breidl.) Schiffner ex Loeske. This habitus was described by Szweykowski from S. gymnostomophila found in the Tatra Mountains (Szweykowski, 1958). Leaves of S. gymnostomophila are very unequally bilobed, with dorsal lobes Ľ - ⅓ of ventral lobes. Ventral lobes are not decurrent, 650-700 μm long × 350-450 μm wide, pointed or rounded, 2 × as long as keel, 1.7 – 2.0 × as long as the dorsal lobes. Dorsal lobes are small, transversely inserted, not decurrent, 350 μm long × 200 μm wide, apex pointed. Marginal cells, 15-17 μm, are thin walled, smaller than median cells; median cells have concave-sided trigones and thin walls, 20 μm wide × 25 μm long; basal cells have thick walled ventral lobes, lacking oil-bodies. The leaf cells have one very large oil-body per cell, grey-brownish, long persistent, ca. 15 μm long × 10 μm wide, almost filling the cell lumen, or 2 smaller oil-bodies per cell in marginal cells, or more than 2 smaller oil-bodies in the cells of gemmiparous areas. Gemmae brown or reddish brown, especially elliptical, 2-celled, 25 μm long × 10-12.5 μm wide. They are unisexual plants. Along sterile plants several male plants were found with androecia intercalary, bracts similar to leaves, scarcely modified except for the somewhat saccate bases. Antheridia 1(2) per bract, with body ca. 150 x 170 μm, stalk 1-seriate, 20-23 μm wide. Female plants were not found. The geographical distribution of this liverwort is very disjunctive. In Europe S. gymnostomophila grows in the alpine zones from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians and lowlands of Northern Europe. Distribution in Europe: Austria, Britain, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Svalbard, Sweden, Switzerland and northern part of European Russia (Schumacker & Váňa, 2005). Outside Europe this plant is distributed in Siberia, Russian Far East, Subarctic America, Western Canada, Eastern Canada, North-western USA, North-central USA and North-eastern USA (Söderström et al., 2002).
References SCHUMACKER R., VÁŇA J., 2005 - Identification Keys to the Liverworts and Hornworts of Europe and Macaronesia (Distribution and Status). 2nd revised edition. Poznań, Sorus Publishing & Printing House, 211 p. SÖDERSTRÖM L., URMI E., VÁŇA J., 2002 - Distribution of Hepaticae and Anthocerotae in Europe and Macaronesia, Lindbergia, 27(1): 3-47. SZWEYKOWSKI J., 1958 – Scapania gymnostomophila Kaalaas – a new liverwort in the Carpathians, Bulletin de la Societe des Amis, des Sciences et des Lettres de Poznan, sér. B, 14: 371-377. ŞTEFĂNUŢ S., 2008 - Scapania gymnostomophila Kaal. In: Blockeel TL, ed. New national and regional bryophyte records, 19, Journal of Bryology, 30(3):234. ŞTEFĂNUŢ S., 2008 - The Hornwort and Liverwort Atlas of Romania, Edit. Ars Docendi, Bucharest, 510 p.
Fig. 1. Scapania gymnostomophila from Bucegi Massif, Romania.
Fig. 2. Scapania gymnostomophila from Bucegi Massif, Romania.
Fig. 3. Ventral lobe cells of Scapania gymnostomophila. |
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