Microsoft Word - 14. 80 BJPT_16_-_80__editMK.doc Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 23(2): 209-213, 2016 (December) © 2016 Bangladesh Association of Plant Taxonomists CHEILOLEJEUNEA VITTATA (STEPH. EX G. HOFFM.) R.M. SCHUST. & KACHROO (LEJEUNEACEAE: MARCHANTIOPHYTA) – A NEWLY RECORDED SPECIES FROM INDIA SHASHI KUMAR AND SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH1 Botanical Survey of India, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong-793003, India Keywords: Cheilolejeunea vittata; Lejeuneaceae; New record; India. Abstract Cheilolejeunea vittata (Steph. ex G. Hoffm.) R.M. Schust. & Kachroo is reported and described for the first time in Indian bryoflora from Manipur. Introduction Lejeuneaceae is the largest family of the liverworts with more than 1000 species in the world belonging to 68 genera. The genus Cheilolejeunea (Spruce) Steph. is one of the largest genera under the family Lejeuneaceae, contains c. 80-100 species, pantropical in distribution (Thiers, 1997; Ye et al., 2015) belonging to nine sections, namely Anomalolejeunea (Schiffn.) W.Ye, Gradst. & R.L. Zhu, Cheilolejeunea, Cyrtolejeunea W.Ye, Gradst. & R.L. Zhu, Euosmolejeunea W.Ye, Gradst. & R.L. Zhu, Leucolejeunea W.Ye, Gradst. & R.L. Zhu, Paroicae W.Ye, Gradst. & R.L. Zhu, Omphalanthus W.Ye, Gradst. & R.L. Zhu, Strepsilejeunea W.Ye, Gradst. & R. L . Zhu and Xenolejeunea B. Thiers. However, in recently published “World checklist of hornworts and liverworts”, the number varies to 169 species (incl. 10 uncertain species) belonging to four subgenera viz., subg. Cheilolejeunea, Euosmolejeunea (Spruce) Kachroo, Renilejeunea R.M.Schust. and Xenolejeunea Kachroo & R. M. Schust. (Söderström et al., 2016). The genus is characterized by 1) pale green to yellowish green colour, 2) thin stems with a 2(- 4) cells wide ventral merophyte and enlarged epidermis cells, 3) leaf lobules with 1(-2) teeth and a hyaline papilla present distal side of the second tooth, 4) leaf cells with 1 – 3(-5) usually large, coarsely segmented oil-bodies, 5) underleaves usually bifid rarely entire, 6) gynoecia without or with 1 – 2 lejeuneoid or pycnolejeuneoid innovations, 7) perianth with 3 – 5 smooth keels, rarely pluriplicate or without plicae (Zhu et al., 2002; Ye et al., 2015). In India, the genus represented by 21 species (Singh et al., 2016) with prevalence in eastern Himalayan bryo-geographical territory (15 species) followed by Western Ghats (12 species). Andaman and Nicobar territory is represented by five species and Central India by 2 species, while four bryo-geographical territories have no representations of the genus. Following Söderström et al. (2016) subgeneric concept, the Indian species belong to three subgenera Cheilolejeunea (6 species), Euosmolejeunea (11 species), and Xenolejeunea (4 species). Three species namely, Cheilolejeunea ghatensis G. Asthana, S.C. Srivast. & A.K. Asthana, Cheilolejeunea orientalis (Gottsche) Mizut. and Cheilolejeunea udarii G. Asthana, S.C. Srivast. & A.K. Asthana are endemic to India. Materials and Methods Plant materials were collected from the forest along Pung-Pung river of Chandel district, Manipur, North-east India. The plants were growing as epiphyte in moist places. Critical morpho-                                                              1  Corresponding author: Email: sksbsinc@rediffmail.com 210 KUMAR AND SINGH taxonomic investigation of the specimens was performed under Microscopes (Binocular Olympus SZ 51 Stereo zoom microscope & Trinocular Olympus CX 41 biological microscope). The specimens were identified based on the literature. A brief taxonomic description and line drawing illustration is provided. Nomenclature follows Söderström et al. (2016). Table 1. Morphological and anatomical comparison of Cheilolejeunea trapezia Cheilolejeunea ceylanica and Cheilolejeunea vittata. Characters Cheilolejeunea trapezia (Dey & Singh, 2012) Cheilolejeunea ceylanica (Zhu & So, 2001; Mizutani, 1980) Cheilolejeunea vittata ( our plant) Plant length & width 18-25 mm long & 1.5-1.9 mm wide 5-15 mm long& 0.7-1.3 mm wide 8-12 mm long; 0.9 – 1.4 mm wide No of cortical & medullary cells in stem cort. 9-12 & med. 15-18 cort. 7 & med. 9-13 cort. 7 (-8) & med. 9-11 Ventral merophyte 2-4 cells wide 2 cells wide 2 cells wide Leaf shape & Size ovate, 0.8-1.1 mm long & 0.6- 0.75 mm wide triangular-ovate , 0.4-0.6 mm long & 0.3-0.4 mm wide ovate, 0.5- 0.7 mm long, 0.4 -0.5 mm wide Vitta in leaf lobe absent often distinct, 3-7 cells long & 3-5 cells wide distinct, 12 -16 cells long & 6-11 cells wide Leaf lobule 3/5-2/3 of leaf length 3/5-2/3 of leaf length (2/5-) 1/2 of leaf length Second tooth of leaf lobule 1-4 (-5) cells long, erect or slightly curved, as long as the apical portion of leaf lobule near lobe attachment 4-7 cells long, usually curved at apex of leaf, as long as the apical portion of leaf lobule near lobe attachment 1-4 cells long, erect or occasionally slightly curved, usually shorter than the apical portion of leaf lobule near lobe attachment Taxonomic description Cheilolejeunea vittata (Steph. ex G. Hoffm.) R.M. Schust. & Kachroo, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 56: 509. 1961; Mizutani, J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 47: 321. 1980. Pycnolejeunea vittata Steph. ex Hoffm., Ann. Bryol. 8: 115. 1935. Plants small, pale green; shoots 8 – 12 mm long, 0.9 – 1.4 mm wide; branching irregulary, Lejeunea-type; cross-section of stem subglobose – oval in outline, 78.6 – 105.0 × 66.5 – 80.0 µm, 5 – 6 cells across the diameter; cortical cells in a layer of 7 ( –8) cells, subquadrate – rectangular, 15.0 – 32.5 × 10.0 – 20.0 µm, thick-walled, medullary cells 9 – 11, polygonal, 10.0 – 22.5 × 7.5 – 12.5 µm, thick-walled; ventral merophytes 2 cells wide. Leaves imbricate, widely spreading; leaf lobes ovate, 0.51 – 0.70 mm long, 0.41 – 0.52 mm wide, antical margin arched, postical margin straight or sometimes curved, apex rounded, margin entire; marginal leaf cells towards apex small, subquadrate – quadrate, 7.5 – 12.5 × 5.0 – 7.5 µm; median leaf cells pentagonal – hexagonal, 15.0 – 30.0 × 10.0 – 22.5 µm; basal leaf cells elongated hexagonal – polygonal, 17.5 – 45.0 × 10.0 – 30.0 µm; cells thin or slightly thick-walled, with nodular trigones and intermediate thickenings prominent in median and basal leaf cells; vitta about 3/4 the length and 2/5 – 3/5 the CHEILOLEJEUNEA VITTATA 211 Fig. 1. Cheilolejeunea vittata (Steph. ex G. Hoffm.) R.M. Schust. & Kachroo: A. A portion of plant in dorsal view; B. The same in ventral view; C – E. Cross-sections of stem; F – J. Leaves; K. Marginal leaf cells; L. Median leaf cells; M. Basal leaf cells; N, O. Leaf lobules; P – T. Underleaves. 212 KUMAR AND SINGH width of the leaf lobe, 12 – 16 cells long, 6 – 11 cells wide; cuticle slightly mammillose; oil- bodies not observed; leaf lobules inflated, rectangular, 1/2 (-2/5) as long as the lobe, 0.25 – 0.35 mm long, 0.15 – 0.18 mm wide, apex truncate, first tooth obsolete, second tooth elongated, 1 (-2) – 4 cells long in a row, hyaline papilla small, present at the distal side of second tooth. Under leaves distant, suborbicular, 2 – 3 times as wide as the stem, 0.20 – 0.33 mm long, 0.18 – 0.31 mm wide, bilobed to 3/5 of its length, lobes triangular, apex acute, sinus “V”-shaped, margin entire. Androecial and gynoecial branches not observed. Habitat: Epiphytic, growing in moist and shady places. Distribution: India [Manipur – present study], China (Zhu & So, 1999; Zhu et al., 2002), Indonesia (Söderström et al., 2010), Malaysia (Chuah-Petiot, 2011), Papua New Guinea (Grolle & Piippo 1984), Sri Lanka (Rubasinghe & Long, 2014), Thailand (Lai et al., 2008; Pócs & Podani, 2015), Philippines (Mizutani, 1980), Australia (Thiers, 1992, 1997). Specimen examined: Manipur, Chandel district, Pung-Pung river, 24°15´36.3´´N, 94° 17´ 37.2´´E, 220 m, 22.06.2014, Shashi Kumar, TSLI – 194, 195, 215 (ASSAM). Notes: Cheilolejeunea vittata (belongs to subg. Xenolejeunea) is characterized by its leaf lobe cells forming a vitta (about 3/4 the length and 2/5 – 3/5 the width of leaf lobe, 12 – 16 cells long, 6 – 11 cells wide) and with sub-nodular – nodular or bulging trigones and few, small – prominent intermediate thickenings; leaf lobules rectangular, (2/5-) 1/2 as long as lobe with elongated 1 – 4 cells long, erect or slightly curved apical tooth which usually shorter than the apical portion of leaf lobule. However, it shows affinity with Cheilolejeunea ceylanica in having similar habit of plants, similar arrangement of leaves, robust leaf lobule with elongated apical tooth and under leaf structure, but the latter differs from the former in having comparatively larger leaf lobule 2/3 as long of the leaf lobe length with very long apical tooth which is 5 – 7 cells long and curved toward apex, usually as long as the apical portion of leaf lobule, leaf lobes usually triangular-ovate with elongate median and basal cells often forming a distinct (or indistinct) vitta (extending to the middle portion) vitta 3 – 7 cells long (Zhu & So, 2001). It also shows similarity with Cheilolejeunea trapezia in large leaf lobule, and lobular tooth (1 – 4 cells long, erect or occasionally slightly curved), but latter differ from the former in its leaf cells which is not forming vita and ventral merophyte 2 – 4 cells wide (Zhu & So, 2001; see also table 1). Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to Director, Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata and Head of the Office, BSI, Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong for facilities and encouragement; to the officials of Forest Department, Manipur for permission and help rendered during field exploration. One of us (Shashi Kumar) is also grateful to the Director, BSI, for financial assistance under 'Flora of India' project. References Chuah-Petiot, M. S. 2011. A checklist of Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of Malaysia. Polish Bot. J. 56(1): 1–44. Dey, M. and Singh, D. K. 2012. Epiphyllous Liverwort of Eastern Himalaya. BSI, Kolkata. Grolle, R. & Piippo, S. 1984. Annotated catalogue of Western Melanesian bryophyte. I: Hepaticae and Anthoccrotue. Acta Bot. Fenn. 125: 1–86 Lai, M. J., Zhu, R.L. and Chantanaorrapint, S. 2008. Liverworts and hornworts of Thailand: an updated checklist and bryofloristic accounts. Ann. Bot. Fenn. 45: 321–341. Mizutani, M. 1980. Lejeuneaceae from the Philippines. J. 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Nova Hedwigia 75: 387–408. (Manuscript received on 11 July 2016; revised on 28 September 2016)