Frullania
From Natural History of Southeast Alaska
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Frullania californica | ID notes from BFNA treatment:
Has dorsal lobe ocelli that are variable in their location. While the ocelli are generally few, they may also be scattered or form a short median line in some expressions. May sometimes have dorsal lobe apices that are sporadically acute or even sometimes acuminate. These specimens are otherwise identical to specimens with rounded apices. Distinguishing from Frullania franciscana: Ocelli sometimes scattered on the dorsal lobe (cf. Distinguishing from Frullania nisquallensis: ventral leaf margins plane or nearly so |
| Frullania chilcootiensis | |
| Frullania franciscana | ID notes from BFNA treatment:
has variable dorsal lobe apices that are usually rounded, but may sometimes be bluntly acute. Distinguishing from Frullania californiana: ocelli arranged in a median line that is 1--2, sometimes 3 cells wide for F. franciscana, versus ocelli sometimes scattered on the dorsal lobe Distinguishing from Frullania nisquallensis: In F. nisquallensis the ocelli are frequently absent, although they may be present in a few dorsal lobes as a short, broken line. The ventral leaf margins of F. franciscana usually have a blunt angulation on one or both sides at about the middle of the leaf. |
| Frullania nisquallensis | Small golden to dark brown leafy liverwort found on tree trunks and less often on rock surfaces. Plants have tiny gladiator-helmet shaped lobe on the lower surface of leaves.
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Abridged Notes from: http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/BFNA/V3/Frullaniaceae.htm
- Frullania californica is morphologically similar to F. franciscana and F. nisquallensis, and the differences separating it are discussed under those species. Like F. franciscana and F. nisquallensis, it has dorsal lobe ocelli that are variable in their location. While the ocelli are generally few, they may also be scattered or form a short median line in some expressions. As noted by W. S. Hong (1989) and W. T. Doyle & R. E. Stotler (2006), F. californica may sometimes have dorsal lobe apices that are sporadically acute or even sometimes acuminate. These specimens are otherwise identical to specimens with rounded apices.
- Frullania franciscana has variable dorsal lobe apices that are usually rounded, but may sometimes be bluntly acute. Similarly rounded dorsal lobe apices are found in expressions of F. californica, whereas acute apices are more common in F. nisquallensis. Frullania franciscana differs from F. californica in having ocelli arranged in a median line that is 1--2, sometimes 3 cells wide, versus ocelli sometimes scattered on the dorsal lobe. In F. nisquallensis the ocelli are frequently absent, although they may be present in a few dorsal lobes as a short, broken line. Both of these species also have entire ventral leaf margins. The ventral leaf margins of F. franciscana usually have a blunt angulation on one or both sides at about the middle of the leaf.
- Frullania nisquallensis has ovate dorsal lobes with acute to acuminate, deflexed apices, and ocelli absent, scattered, or forming a partial or broken median line. Like F. californica and F. franciscana, the styli may have a reduced or absent appendage. The ventral leaves can be somewhat auriculate with weakly developed basal appendages, similar to F. californica, or have gradually narrowed bases that lack appendages, like F. franciscana. In distinguishing F. nisquallensis from the morphologically similar species of subg. Thyopsiella in western North America, the stance of the ventral leaf margins provides a useful characteristic. In F. nisquallensis, the ventral leaf margins are entire and reflexed at or above the sinuses. By comparison, both F. franciscana and F. californica have the ventral leaf margins plane or nearly so.
- Frullania chilcootiensis, like F. sabalina, is known only from a single North American locality. The species was collected in the late 1800s by brothers Arthur and Aurel Krause, who botanized in the Alaskan Panhandle (E. Hultén 1968). A. W. Evans (1897) provided a description and short discussion of the species based on drawings that were sent to him by F. Stephani. He considered F. chilcootiensis to be incompletely known, but did not speculate on the taxon’s validity. Stephani’s drawings were later published by T. C. Frye and L. Clark (1947), who speculated that the species might be a depauperate expression of F. bolanderi. The type specimen of F. chilcootiensis was examined by J. D. Godfrey and G. A. Godfrey (1980), who further compared and contrasted the species with F. hattoriana and F. eboracensis. A fragment of the type specimen in fh has narrow shoots, dorsal lobes with auriculate bases, and large triangular-lanceolate styli. Based on these characters, F. chilcootiensis would seem to be a good match for F. hattoriana. Frullania hattoriana is, however, autoicous whereas the sexuality of F. chilcootiensis is unknown. More specimens are needed to determine the affinities and variability of F. chilcootiensis.
- Frullania bolanderi can be readily recognized by its leafless, erect or curving, flagelliform shoots, with short internodes and persistent and squarrose ventral leaves. Aside from these specialized shoots, F. bolanderi might be confused with F. caucasica as both species are dioicous; have ovate dorsal lobes; large, sub-quadrate lobules; and obovate ventral leaves with blunt angulations or teeth on the margins. Frullania bolanderi differs, however, in that the antical margin of the dorsal lobe base is truncate, whereas in F. caucasica it is cordate. Furthermore, F. bolanderi has larger, lanceolate styli, that are 5--11 cells long and 3--6 cells wide at the base, whereas the styli of F. caucasica are short-triangular and are only 3--5 cells long and 2--3 cells wide at the base. In North America, F. catalinae, F. chilcootiensis, F. cobrensis, F. hattoriana, and F. stylifera all have lanceolate or lamellate styli that are similar in size to that of F. bolanderi. The styli of F. catalinae are 6--8 cells long and 2--4 cells wide, but that species differs in its autoicous sexuality, having squarrose leaves when moist, and frequency of explanate lobules. The styli of F. chilcootiensis are also 6--8 cells long and 2--4 cells wide, but that species has an auriculate-appendiculate dorsal lobe base. The styli of F. cobrensis are 12--16 cells long and 4--6 cells wide at the base, however it is also an autoicous species, has strongly cordate dorsal lobe bases, ocelli in the basal cells of the dorsal lobe, and lobules that narrow towards the mouth. The styli of F. hattoriana are 7--12 cells long and 4--6 cells wide. However, F. hattoriana is somewhat narrower than F. bolanderi (leafy shoots 0.36--0.56 versus 0.9--1.2 mm wide), autoicous, has strongly cordate dorsal lobe bases, and more prominently toothed ventral leaves. Lastly, the styli of F. stylifera are 10--15 cells long and 4--10 cells wide, typically larger than the styli of F. bolanderi. Frullania stylifera further differs in its autoicous sexuality and cordate dorsal lobe bases.
- Frullania hattoriana is known only from a few stations in western British Columbia, Canada. The species is similar to F. wrightii in its autoicous sexuality, broad styli, toothed ventral leaf margins, innermost gynoecial bracteole that are connate on one side with the bract, pluriplicate perianth, and broad, stout perianth beak. Frullania hattoriana differs from that species in its narrower shoots (0.3--0.5 mm wide versus 0.9--1.2 mm wide), narrower stem width, and more frequent branches. Furthermore, the dorsal lobe bases of F. hattoriana are auriculate-appendiculate, while the lobules are slightly longer than wide. By comparison, F. wrightii has cordate dorsal lobe bases and lobules that are about as long as wide. Both species have been overlooked in the flora area and require more study.
