Fissidens sciophyllus Mitt. subsp. capeverdensis Brugg.-Nann., 2025

Bruggeman-Nannenga, Maria Alida, 2025, Notes on African Fissidens, including F. colliculosus Brugg. - Nann., sp. nov., F. sciophyllus subsp. capeverdensis subsp. nov. and F. pellucidus var. ripensis comb. nov., stat. nov., Cryptogamie, Bryologie 20 (3), pp. 15-33 : 20

Fissidens sciophyllus Mitt. subsp. capeverdensis Brugg.-Nann. , subsp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

HOLOTYPE. — Kapverden • Santo Antão, ribeira das Pombas; oberer Bereich, auf feuchten Steinen im obersten Bereich der Pflanzungen, nordostexponiert; 260 m alt.; 10.II.1995; Lindlar 405; L.

DIAGNOSIS. — This subspecies is characterized by the pale green color of young plants, the mostly distant, lanceolate leaves; the characteristic (but variable) apex, typically narrow and terminated by a large, pointed cell; rounded dorsal lamina bases, limbidia restricted to the leaves of vaginant laminae of perichaetial stems; laminal cells with 2-4 punctate papillae over the lumen; slightly to half-open vaginant laminae and costae that end 2-10 cells below the apex. The antheridia are terminal on short stems and branches, and the leaves are inflexed with a slightly incurved apex when dry. The new variety differs from subsp. sciophyllus in the typically slender, tapering leaf tips and shorter costae that do not reach the apex and may end as many as 10 cells below it. Leaf tips of var. sciophyllus are mostly less narrowly acute with percurrent to shortly excurrent costae. At first sight F. s. subsp. capeverdensis may resemble the smooth-celled F. pellucidus . Both are pale green when young and have distant, lanceolate leaves. However, the pluripapillose laminal cells of the new subspecies make distinction easy.

ETYMOLOGY. — This subspecies is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands. This is reflected in the name.

DISTRIBUTION. — Endemic to the Cape Verde Islands where it known from Santo Antão, Brava, Fogo, Santiago and São Nicolau.

SUBSTRATE. — Stones, less often soil.

ELEVATION. — 260-1220 m alt.

PARATYPES. — Kapverden • Brava, an der Strasse zum Flughafen; c. 600 m alt.; hinter Cova Rodela. Felsrinne, nordexponiert; 580 m alt.; 30. I.1995; Lindlar 91 (private herbarium Bruggeman-Nannenga) • Santiago, Serra de Malagueta ; Ost- bzw. Nordosthänge im Südwesten von Cha de Figueiras , auf Erde und Gestein; ost- nordostexponiert; 770-800 m alt.; 1.II.1995; Lindlar 107 (private herbarium Bruggeman-Nannenga) • Santo Antão, ribeira das Pombas; oberer Bereich, auf feuchten Steinen im obersten Bereich der Pflanzungen; nordostexponiert; 260 m alt.; 10.II.1995; Lindlar 404 and 410 (all private herbarium Bruggeman-Nannenga).

REMARKS

Leaf tips vary from tips that, apart from the shorter costa, resemble those of subsp. sciophyllus ( Fig. 3F ) to long, slender and attenuated ( Fig. 3G ). Some of this variability is shown in Fig. 3 F-I. Earlier reported from the Cape Verde islands as F. sciophyllus ( Frahm et al. 1996) and F. danckelmannii Müll. Hal. ( Bizot 1969; Potier de la Varde 1943).

DESCRIPTION BASED ON LINDLAR 405 (HOLOTYPE), LINDLAR 404 (CROSS-SECTIONS) AND LINDLAR 107 (PERIGONIA) Growing in loose mat. Stem with central strand, not heterocaulous, unbranched, 4-5 × 1.5 mm, pinnately foliated; rhizoids brown, smooth; axillary nodules not differentiated; leaves pale green, distant to close, up to 13 pairs, reflexed when dry, lanceolate with a long, narrow, acute-acuminate apex ending in a large pointed cell, 0.7-1.1× 0.2-0.3 mm, 3.6-4.7 times as long as wide, margin subentire to crenulate,

elimbate except for the vaginant laminae of the 4 upper leaf pairs of perichaetial stems that have a unistratose (estimated), more or less marginal limbidium; limbidium extending up to 1/2 the vaginant lamina in perichaetial leaves; vaginant lamina 1/2-ª⁄5 the leaf length, rounded and less wide than the stem at the insertion, unistratose, unequal with the minor lamella ending ± midway between costa and margin; dorsal lamina rounded and slightly undulate at the insertion, reaching the insertion, not decurrent; dorsal and apical lamina unistratose; costa ending 2-7 (up to 10 in some collections) cells below the apex, bryoides-type; mid dorsal laminal cells (4.5-)6-8 ×(3-) 4.0-7 µm, with 2-4 tiny punctate papillae; mid vaginant laminal cells 7-9.5(-11) × (4.5-) 5.5-8 µm, plane, with 3-4 punctate papillae over the lumen. Gemmae not observed.

Perigonia terminal on 1-1.5 mm long stems and on branches; antheridia c. 150 µm long; perichaetia terminal, perichaetial leaves c. 1.5 mm long, archegonia c. 300 µm long; calyptra not observed. Sporophyte, seta 4 mm long, smooth, theca erect, ± cylindric, 0.6× 0.3 mm, ± 32 columns of collenchymatous exothecial cells; peristome type unknown, tooth base c. 32 µm wide; operculum not observed; spores not observed.

Figures

FIG. 3. — Fissidens sciophyllus Mitt.,subsp. capeverdensis subsp.nov.: A, stem;B and C, perigonial branches (or stems?);D, perichaetial stem;E, leaves;F-I, leaf apices,showing some variations of this subspecies;J, mid leaf;K, basal part of leaf;L, capsule;A, I, from Lindlar 404; B-D, H, J, K, from Lindlar 107; E, from Lindlar 410; F, from Lindlar 93; G, from Lindlar 91 (all private herbarium Bruggeman-Nannenga); L, from holotype (L). Scale bars: A-D, L, 1 mm; E, 0.5 mm; F-K, 100 μm.