A preliminary treatment of the Central American species of Octoblepharum (Musci: Calymperaceae)
(1991)
The species of Octoblepharum occurring in Central America have been critically examined. Six are recognized as valid species: O. albidum, O. cocuiense, O. cylindricum, O. erectifolium, O. pulvinatum and O. stramineum. Synonyms are given for these species: O. longifolium = O. albidum; O. mittenii, O. fragillimum, O. pellucidum and =O. pulvinatum var. angustifolium are synonyms of O. cocuiense; O. juruense and O. densum = O. pulvinatum and O. purpureo-brunneum = O. stramineum. All species are widely distributed in the area except for O. cylindricum and O. stramineum that are known only from Belize and Panama respectively.
De las 21 especies neotropicales de Octoblepharum válidamente publicadas, se reconocen, al presente, sólo nueve. Estas son: O. albidum Hedw., O. ampullaceum Mitt., O. cocuiense Mitt., O. cylindricum Schimp. ex Mont., O. erectifolium Mitt., O. pulvinatum (Doz. & Molk.) Mitt., O. rhaphidostegium C. Müll., O. stramineum Mitt. y O. tatei (Williams) Bartr. Se distinguen dos líneas evolutivas de acuerdo al número de dientes del peristoma. Los miembros de la línea con 16 dientes son dioicos mientras que aquellos de la de 8 pueden ser autoicos o dioicos. Los estudios fenológicos en poblaciones de 3 especies en Panamá sugieren un pseudodioicismo en las especies autoicas con el desarrollo de gametoceos masculinos y anteridios en mayor número que los femeninos. En las poblaciones de O. albidum se presentan dos tipos de peristoma, uno verticalmente estriado y otro liso. Todas las especies ocurren en América del Sur la que se considera como el centro de origen y especiación del género.
Plants glaucous green, in loose to dense turfs; stems sparingly branched; leaves lanceolate from a broad to narrow base, slightly to strongly keeled, + overlapping when dry, slightly spreading when moist, acuminate, acute apiculate to truncate-retuse and revolute; hyaline lamina occupying 1/5-1/3 length of leaves; hyalocysts quadrate, oblong rectangular to hexagonal in 1- 3(-4) layers on the abaxial and adaxial sides of the central chlorophyllous layer; costa narrow or broad, spinose at apex or smooth; margins serrate to smooth.
Twenty eight hepatics and eight hornwort species are reported as new to Panama. Data on their habitat, local and general distribution and are included. One species, Cololejeunea panamensis G. Dauphin & Pócs is described as new to science. A new combination, Megaceros canaliculatus (Pagán) Shaw & Renzaglia, corr. et emend. J. C. Vill. & Salazar Allen, is proposed. Eight further hepatic records from the literature have been added. This raises the total number of hepatics reported from Panama to 325 species in 100 genera and 28 families.
A brief account of the geography and floristic regions of Panamá is complemented with an historical account of the liverwort studies of this country. This is followed by an annotated checklist of 289 taxa, including 93 new for Panamá. Among these are four hornwort taxa that represent the first anthocerotes reported. Each checklist entry comprises proper taxon citation, collection data and/or bibliographic references.
A bryophyte inventory along an altitudinal gradient on Cerro Pirre (1200 m), Darién National Park, Panama, demonstrates that the different rain forest types along the gradient (inundatedlowland, hillside-lowland, submontane, montane elfin forest) have very different species assemblages. The montane forest has the largest number of exclusive species and the largest bryophyte biomass. Species richness is greatest in the submontane forest. The bryophyte flora of Cerro Pirre is not exceedingly rich in species owing to the rather low elevation of the mountain and the seasonal climate in the adjacent coastal plain. Nevertheless, the distinct altitudinal diversification and the occurrence of a considerable number of rare hepatic taxa, demonstrate the importance of Darién National Park as an area of plant conservation. Forty hepatic species are reported as new to Panama.