Archive for Bryology
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120
The development of and the changes in the classification of bryophytes are shown over the last two centuries. It is shown that, except for an early period, the bryophyte system was never totally revised but was always only slightly improved, in which the ideas of a bryophyte system has undergone some kind of evolution but was never drastically changed. Neither the evolution theory in the last century nor the results of cytology, phytochemistry, computerbased studies or genetics in this century had drastically altered the bryophyte system. The reasons for the never totally changed but always slightly improved classification of bryophytes seem to be that recognition of systematic units is based on certain principles such as hierachical classification, types and algorithms of comparison. Therefore it is postulated that no general changes in the classification of bryophytes are to be expected in the future.
144
Leptodontium styriacum shall be distinguished from the closely related L. flexifolium by the frequent occurrence of gemmae, leaves ending in a hyaline cell and larger laminal cells. A critical evaluation of these characters revealed that these differences are obsolete. Therefore both species are synonymised with the result, that L. flexifolium has a disjunct range between the oceanic parts of Europe and the Alps, a distribution pattern also found in several other species.
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Plants variable in size and appearence, from a few mm to more than 10 cm tall, in loose to dense tufts. Stems erect, simple, rarely branched, radiculose, sometimes densely tomentose; rhizoids reddish-brown to whitish. Leaves erect-patent, sometimes curled when dry or falcate (sometimes erect and falcate expressions in the same species), short to longly lanceolate, often subulate; margins entire or serrate at leaf tips; costa single, percurrent to short excurrent, sometimes hyaline excurrent, filling 1/6 to 4/5 of leaf width, in transverse-section with median deuter cells and dorsal stereids, rarely hyalocysts, ventrally either stereids or more rarely hyalocysts; laminal cells usually smooth, occasionally bulging mammillose, cell walls smooth; alar cells differentiated or not, when distinct, hyaline or reddish brown, inflated, thin-walled or incrassate, basal laminal cells mostly rectangular, thin-walled or incrassate, occasionally pitted, upper laminal cells quadrate to rectangular or oval, leaf border present in some taxa. Vegetative propagation by microphyllous branches, deciduous leaves or stem tips, or anisophyllous brood leaves in the axils of the upper leaves. Dioicous or autoicous. Perichaetia terminal, or occasionally pseudolateral by stem innovations, perichaetial leaves often different in shape, from sheathing base subulate. Seta mostly elongate (1-4 cm), rarely short (<1 cm) or almost absent, erect, in few genera flexuose, cygneously curved and twisted. Capsule immersed to more commonly exserted, inclined to suberect or erect, symmetric to asymmetric, short long-cylindrical to ovoid-cylindrical or ovoid,, smooth or furrowed when dry and empty; stomata present or absent; annulus present or absent. Operculum conical to long-rostrate. Peristome single, teeth 16, mostly divided 1/2 or more toward base, vertically striate below, distally papillose to papillose throughout. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, naked, base entire or ciliate. Spores almost smooth to coarsely papillose.
146
The determination of complete DNA sequence of mitochondrial genome of liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha, opens the way to study the structure and organization of mitochondrial genomes of bryophytes. Since then several studies to sequence mitochondrial genomes of various plant groups have been made. Consequently 71 mitochondrial genomes (as on September 28, 2012) of Viridiplantae are available in organelle genome resources database at National Center for Biotechnology Information. Among these mitochondrial genomes the lineage sampling of bryophytes are poorly represented with only three liverworts, two mosses and two hornworts. The present review deals with features of sequenced mitochondrial genomes of bryophytes.
139
Scopelophila cataractae, a species on heavy metal rich substrates, was first recorded for Europe in 1967 from Britain and subsequently recorded from many localities contaminated with heavy metal especially around zinc works. It was found in Germany on schist-walls nearby mines from the nineteenth century. This could indicate that the species was present in Europe already prior to 1967 but overlooked. Records even from solid rock nearby mines suggest a status as native species, however, the species had not been observed in the inrtensively floristically studied region before 1870.
123
The Chocó region in Colombia is one of the wettest rainforests regions in the world. Isolated for about 3 million years, it is known for its high rate of endemism in flowering plants, ferns, birds and butterflies. Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) of this region, however, were very unsufficiently known. For this reason, a first survey of the bryoflora of the Chocó region was made in 1992 along a transect from sea level to 1800 m elevation. Apparently because of the high precipitation with up to 12 m annual rainfall, terrestrial species were found growing on bark or corticolous species on leaves. The cover of epiphytic bryophytes is higher than elsewhere, especially in the lowland forest which shows usually a low bryophyte cover. The percentage of mosses compared with that of liverworts is much lower than elsewhere. Mosses form only about 10% of the bryophyte cover in contrast to 40-50% in the according elevation in other rain forest regions.
119
Parson’s valley is an area explored for the first time in Indian Bryology; it is situated in Nilgiri hills (Western Ghats). The region is very conducive for the growth of liverworts and it is evident by the present study of recent collections from this area in which 27 taxa (under 12 genera and 5 families) of liverworts have been recorded, of which few are new to Nilgiri hills as well as south India.
134
A preliminary study has been made for Borail Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam, India. A total of 25 species of liverwort (Marchantiophyta) and one species of hornwort (Anthocerotophyta) have been enumerated. Of these, Frullania berthoumieuii is new to India, Caudalejeunea reniloba new to North East India, 13 species new to Assam and 11 species are reported for the first time from Borail WLS. Folioceros paliformis is rediscovered after its type.
122
Since the existence of Nilgiri hills, bryophyte- the miniatures of plant kingdom play an important and crucial role in the stabilization of Blue Mountains ecology. Unlike Himalayas, the landslides were rare in the area, but with the time and changing global environment it had become a common sight. Significantly ever increasing population and vehicular traffic is the prime reason for them, to cater the need, roads are periodically broadened by cutting road sides destroying the habitat as also the inhabiting species. Bryophytes, are efficient soil binders that regulate the soil moisture and provide substrate for future plant succession. The habitat loss and nudeness of substratum gives impetus to rapid soil erosion that further enhances the problem of their very survival. The present communication provides significance of these avascular cryptogams in environmental assessment, ecological balance and their role in decreasing the pore pressure to check land slides.