Calymperes afzelii Sw.

Authority

Reese, William D. 1993. Calymperaceae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 58: 1-102. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Calymperaceae

Scientific Name

Calymperes afzelii Sw.

Type

Type. Africa. Afzelius s.n. (BM, herb. Hampe).

Synonyms

Calymperes donnellii Austin, Calymperes chlorosum Hampe, Calymperes brittoniae Besch., Calymperes rufescens Besch., Calymperes lindmannii Broth., Calymperes portoricense Renauld & Cardot, Calymperes guianense Broth. & Paris, Calymperes huallagense Broth., Calymperes remirense Paris & Broth., Calymperes reyi Paris & Broth.

Description

Species Description - Plants yellowish to dark-green or brown, dull, in low, thin turfs or gregarious and tufted, mostly to ca. 10 mm tall. Leaves 3-6 mm long, not much contorted when dry, ligulate to lanceolate from broader base; margins thickened, serrate to coarsely toothed above; teniolae very conspicuous; cancellinae distinct, sometimes glossy and conspicuous when dry, their distal cells plane ventrally; cells at midleaf obscure, smooth or finely papillose dorsally, bulging papillose ventrally, 4-5 µm diameter; costa smooth or papillose; gemmiferous leaves often abruptly constricted at apex and forming a narrow "proboscis" with margins revolute around costa, gemmae borne only on ventral surface of costa. Seta 4-5 mm long; capsule 2-2.5 mm long; operculum 0.75 mm long. Spores 19-23 pm, finely papillose. Calyptra 4 mm long.

Discussion

This moss was formerly known in the Americas as C. donnellii Aust. With its small obscure cells, prominent teniolae, and gemmae borne only ventrally on the often modified leaf tips, C. afzelii is very easy to identify. Calymperes erosum is similar but has larger leaf cells and bears its gemmae all around the tip of the costa; further, the ventral distal cells of the cancellinae in C. erosum are markedly mammillose (at least in part, sometimes only along distal edges of cancellinae), in contrast to those of C. afzelii, which are plane distally.

Distribution

Pantropical. U.S.A. (Florida); southern Mexico; throughout Central America and the West Indies; northern South America. Tree trunks, logs, rock, and soil; mostly at low elevations in coastal and interior forests but collected up to ca. 700 m.

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