Fabronia altaica Ignatova & Ignatov, 2017

Ignatova, Elena A., Kuznetsova, Oxana I., Milyutina, Irina A., Fedosov, Vladimir E. & Ignatov, Michael S., 2017, The genus Fabronia (Fabroniaceae, Bryophyta) in Russia, Arctoa 26 (1), pp. 11-34 : 25-26

Fabronia altaica Ignatova & Ignatov , sp. nova.

Type: Russia, Altai Republic, Ulagan District, left slope to Chulyshman River valley ca. 1 km downstream from Chulcha River mouth, ca. 51°05’N, 87°59’E, 550 m a.s.l., at cliff base in Rhododendron thickets, on rocks covered with thin layer of soil, 15.VIII.2012, coll. M. Ignatov & E. Ignatova #12-747 (Holotype MHA, isotypes MW, LE, H, S) .

Illustrations: Figs. 12 , 5 : 7–11, 6: 6–10, 8: 7– 12; 11: 14–17.

Diagnosis: this species is close to Fabronia ciliaris and differs from it in lanceolate vs. ovate leaves, gradually vs. abruptly acuminate, longer leaf cells: 30–50 µm vs. 20–35 µm long, and ovate-cylindrical vs. ovate capsules.

Plants small, silky-green, glossy, in dense patches. Stems creeping, ascending at upper part, ca. 5 mm long, irregularly branching; branches 2–3 mm long, erect or arcuate, densely foliate. Stem and branch leaves similar, loosely appressed when dry, straight or ± secund, spreading when moist, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, gradually long acuminate, 0.65–0.90 u 0.25–0.30 mm; leaf margins dentate, marginal teeth unicellular, moderate in size (20– 30 µm long); costa slender, smooth, ending at mid-leaf; lamina smooth, upper and median laminal cells elongate-rhomboidal, (29–)35–50(–75) u 7–9 µm, with length/width ratio 4–6:1 and cell length, µm/ leaf length, mm ratio 42.7– 70.9; apical leaf cell to 100 µm long; alar cells quadrate to short-rectangular, forming a weakly delimited rectangular group 3–4 cells wide and 7–11 cells along leaf margin. Autoicous, usually with sporophytes. Perigonia bud-like. Perichaetial leaves ca. 0.8 mm long and 0.4 mm wide, with oblong base and abruptly attenuate narrow acumen; costa ending in the acumen. Sporophytes single in perichaetium. Seta ca. 4 mm long, straight, flexuose when dry, yellow. Capsule ovate-cylindrical, 0.6–0.9 mm long and ca. 0.3 mm wide, slightly constricted below mouth when open, with short neck, smooth, pale brown, with dark-brown rim; annulus absent. Peristome single, consisting of 16 exostome teeth fused in pair, dark-brown, obtuse, ca. 150 µm long; outer surface densely papillose and striolate, inner surface with less prominent ornamentation, smooth in lower part of teeth and covered with low oblique ridges and occasionally with scarce papillae in distal part. Spores 13–15 µm, finely papillose. Operculum low conic, with short oblique beak.

Distribution and ecology. Fabronia altaica is known from Altai Republic and the Caucasus, in both regions only from the most xeric areas. In Altai, it grows on dry boulders, rock outcrops and cliffs on xeric slopes, in Rhododendron thickets at cliff bases and in pine forests; it was also occasionally collected on soil at cliff base. Habitats of this species in Dagestan (Eastern Caucasis) were different: it was collected several times on trunks of birch and pear trees, while in Ingushetia it grew on soil in mixed forest.

Specimens examined: RUSSIA: ASIAN RUSSIA: Altai Republic: Ulagan District: Chulyshman River valley 1 km downstream Chulcha River mouth, 550 m alt., 15.VIII.2012, Ignatov & Ignatova 12-745 ( MHA) ; Shebalino District: Katun River valley near Ust-Sema , 580 m alt., 28.VII.1991, Ignatov & Ignatova 24/62 ( MHA) ; Chemal District: Katun River valley 10 km upstream from Chemal, 450 m alt., 7.VII.1993, Ignatov & Ignatova 34/24 ( MHA) ; Edikhta Creek ( Aedigan Creek tributary), 1100 m alt., 8.VII.1993, Ignatov & Ignatova 34/111 ( MHA) ; Ongudai District: Malyj Yaloman Settl. , 900 m alt., 30.VII.1991, Ignatov & Ignatova 25/151 ( MHA) ; Malyj Yaloman Settl. , 950 m alt., 30.VII.1991, Ignatov & Ignatova 25/ 158 ( MHA) ; Malyj Yaloman Creek 8.5 km upstream from Katun River, 1100 m alt., 31.VII.1991, Ignatov & Ignatova 25/53 ( MHA) ; CAUCASUS: Dagestan Republic: Gunib District, Gunib settlement surroundings: 1550 m alt., 22. V.2009, Ignatov & Ignatova 09-725 ( MHA, MW) ; 1600 m alt., 21. V.2009, Ignatov & Ukrainskaya 09-475 ( MHA) ; 1560 m alt., 22. V.2009, Ignatov et al. 14095 & 14098 ( LE) ; Republic of Ingushetia: Aramkhi , 1300 m alt., 12.VII.2005, Bersanova s.n. ( MHA) .

? ITALY:Como, 8.IX.1896 & 31.X.1898, F. A.Artaria s.n. ( LE). Plants from rich collection with many duplicates (seen in LE, H and S) from the northern Italy (Lombardy) is indistingishable from F. altaica by morphology. However, some specimens of F. major from Switzerland (proved by DNA) had laminal cells also more or less similar to F. altaica (cf. Fig. 7 ). Considering this, and also the absence of any other specimens of F. altaica from Central Europe, admitting that this specimen may represent an ultimate modification of F. major . In the illustrations it is shown under the name F. cf. altaica .

Differentiation. Fabronia altaica is rather variable in leaf shape and size (cf. Fig. 5 : 7–11); however, there is rather clear difference in shape from F. ciliaris : ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate vs. ovate, and more gradually narrowed to the acumen vs. abruptly acuminate. There is a statistically proved difference in cell length between these species ( Fig. 7 ). Fertile plants of F. altaica are readily distinguished from F. ciliaris by the shape of capsules: oblong, ovate-cylindrical vs. ovate. Peristome of F. altaica are usually darker colored, dark-brown vs. light-brown in F. ciliaris , but this difference may be caused by longer remaining color of peristome in the former species, while in young, deoperculate capsules they are of the same color. Opercula were rarely seen in F. altaica , but it seems that they are also different, conic and with short oblique beak, while in specimens of F. ciliaris we observed capsules mainly with mammillate opercula (though some exceptions were also seen: at least one specimen of F. ciliaris from Kabardino-Balkaria has capsules with obliquely rostrate opercula). In leaf shape, F. altaica resembles F. major , and in the beginning of the present study we did not separate them from each other. However, the latter species has longer cells, (36–)50–70(–95) µm (with few exceptions: three specimens from Switzerland had shorter cells, mainly 43–50 µm) but long marginal teeth. See also above the discussion about the specimen from northern Italy which resembles F. altaica in cell shape but more likely represents a deviating specimens of F. major . Capsules were found only in few collctions of F. major ; they resemble F. altaica rather than F. ciliaris (see Fig. 11 : 8–10, 14–17 and 1–7).

Figures

Fig. 12. Fabronia altaica (from holotype: Russia, Altai Republic, Chulyshman River valley, Ignatov & Ignatova 12-747, MHA). 1, 7 – habit, dry; 2 – capsule; 3–4 – leaves; 5 – median leaf cells; 6 – leaf apical part; 8 – basal leaf cells. Scale bars: 2 mm for 7; 1 mm for 1–2, 0.5 mm for 3–4; 100 Pm for 5–6, 8.

Fig. 5. 1–6 – Fabronia ciliaris; 7–10 – F. altaica (group 2); 11 – F.cf. altaica; 12–15 – F. major (group 1). 1 – putative isotype of F. ciliaris, Helvetia, LE; 2 – Russia, Dagestan, Ignatov & Ignatova 09-766, MHA; 3 – Russia, Altai Republic, 3.VII.1989, Ignatov 0/43, MHA; 4 – Russia, Khabarovsk Territory, Ignatov & Ignatova 13-494, MHA; 5 – Amurskaya Province, 21.VI.2011, Bezgodov 391, MHA; 6 – U.S.A., Ohio, Buck 50414, NY; 7 – Russia, Altai Republic, Ignatov & Ignatova 12-747, MHA; 8 – Altai, 31.VII.1991, Ignatov & Ignatova 25/53, MHA; 9 – Russia, Dagestan, Ignatov & Ukrainskaya 09-480, MHA; 10 – Russia, Dagestan, Ukrainskaya 14098, LE; 11 – Italy, 31.X.1898, Artaria s.n., LE; 12 – Austria, 2.X.2013, Köckinger 14991, duplicate in MW; 13 – Austria, 18.IV.2001, Köckinger 14992, duplicate in MW; 14 – Russia, North Ossetia/Alania, Ukrainskaya 15938, LE; 15 – Russia, Dagestan, Ignatov & Ukrainskaya 09-572, MHA. 1–15 – leaves. Scale bar: 0.5 mm for all.

Fig. 7. Leaf cell length, µm (A) and leaf cell length/width ratios of 19 specimens of Fabronia (for voucher information see Appendix 1 and specimens examined sections for each species). 1–4 – Fabronia altaica: 1 – Altai 2; 2 – Dagestan 2; 3 – Ingushetia; 4 – Altai 1. 5 – F.cf. altaica: Italy, Como. 6–12 – F. major: 6 – Dagestan 1; 7 – Dagestan 2; 8 – Austria 1; 9 – North Ossetia; 10 – Switzerland 2; 11– Italy, lectotype of F. major; 12 – Austria 4. 13–19 – F. ciliaris: 13 – Amurskaya Province; 14 – Zabaikalsky Territory 1; 15 – Altai 1; 16 – Primorsky Territory, Ignatov et al. #13-1840, MHA; 17 – Yakutia 2; 18 – U.S.A., Ohio; 19 – putative isotype of F. ciliaris, Helvetia, LE.

Fig. 11. 1–7 – Fabronia ciliaris; 8–10 – F. major (group 1); 11–13 – F. pusilla; 14–16 – F. altaica (group 2); 17 – 11 – F.cf. altaica; 18 – F. ciliaris var. polycarpa; 19 – F. ciliaris var. wrightii; 20 – F. rostrata. 1 – Russia, Bashkortostan, 2.IX.1945, Selivanova-Gorodkova s.n., MHA; 2 – Russia, Altai Republic, 7.VII.1993, Ignatov & Ignatova 34/24, MHA; 3 – Russia, Khabarovsk Territory, Ignatov & Ignatova 13-494, MHA; 4 – Russia, Altai Republic, 3.VII.1989, Ignatov 0/43, MHA; 5 – Russia, Dagestan, Ignatov & Ignatova 09-672, MHA; 6 – Russia, Amurskaya Province, 21.VI.2011, Bezgodov 391, MHA; 7 – U.S.A., Ohio, Buck 50414, NY; 8–10 – Austria, 1.II.1994, Köckinger 94-79, duplicate in MW; 11 – Spain, 3.V.2015, Kučera 17500, dupl. ex herb. Jan Kučera in CBFS; 12 – Kyrgyzstan, 18.VI.1965, Rakhmatulina s.n., LE; 13 – Russia, Irkutsk Province, Baikal Lake, 26.VI.1956, Bardunov s.n., LE; 14 – Russia, Dagestan, Ukrainskaya 14098, LE; 13 – Russia, Altai Republic, Ignatov & Ignatova 12-747, MHA; 16 – Russia, Altai Republic, 31.VII.1991, Ignatov & Ignatova 25/53, MHA; 17 – Italy, 31.X.1898, Artaria s.n., LE; 18 – Jamaica, 15.VII.1922, Anonymus, LE; 19 – U.S.A., Texas, 14.VIII.2005, Buck 49234 (NY); 20 – Russia, Amurskaya Province, 7.VIII.2013, Dudov & Kotel’nikova 2013_Br_0593, MW. 1–19 – capsules. Scale bar: 100 Pm for all.