Ectropothecium sodale (Sull.) Mitt.

Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 10: 180 (1868).

Ectropothecium papillosulum Thér. Revue Bryologique 48: 54 (1921). — Type: New Caledonia, “in ditione Poindimié, prope Vagap, II-1910, Le Rat “s.n. (Reliq. E.G.Paris). (lecto-, here designated: “1763. Ectropothecium papillosulum Thér. n.sp. mél. à Rhynchostegium javanicum v majus ”, PC[PC0775281!]) syn. nov.

COMMENTS

Higuchi & Iwatsuki (1994) wrote that they were unable to check the type specimen of Ectropothecium sodale . Fortunately, the type specimen was recovered at PC by Lionel Kervran from a pack of returned specimens.

The morphology of this specimen matches the corresponding characters of E. sodale . Thériot distinguished his new species only by the less falciform leaves and their wider apices, but the degree of expression of these characters is very variable in a single specimen, both in the type and in all specimens seen in New Caledonia. The type specimen is sterile and its sexuality discussed by Thériot (1921). Finally, E. papillosulum is proposed as a synonym of E. sodale, a species widely occurring in tropical Asia, Australia, Melanesia and the Pacific Islands (Biju et al. 2017 and GBIF 2020).

DESCRIPTION FROM THE LECTOTYPE.

Habit

Shoots remotely pinnate, with leaves secund, slightly concave near base, contiguous to slightly imbricate.

Stem

Main stems 170 µm wide, with a central strand and thick cortical tissue, pseudoparaphyllia linear foliose, at most two cells wide.

Leaves

Triangular-lanceolate, 0.8 mm long, 0.2 mm wide, costa short and double, margins denticulate, at least near apices or bases.

Cells

Leaf cells linear, thin-walled, dorsally prorate, 32-57 µm long, 5 µm wide, angular cells few, short rectangular to quadrate, with a single inflate cell short decurrent.