Lophocolea difformis Nees

Species

Bryophytes > Jungermanniales > Lophocoleaceae > Lophocolea

Characteristics

Dioicous, pale yellowish green, gracile, growing on soil. The plant has a strong aromatic smell. Stem to 2 cm long, sparsely branched, about 160 µ in diameter, cortical cells rectangular, about 20 x 50-60 µ thin walled. Rhizoids colourless. Leaves about 1.8 mm long, imbricate-somewhat distant in young shoots, suberect, patent, as explanate ovate, upper margin arched and lower margin arched-straight, longly decurrent, apical portion of the leaf 2/3-1/2 as wide as the basal portion, bilobed, lobes acute, sinus widely obtuse. Marginal cells 20-24 x 20-36 µ, cells in the mid up to 34 x 38-34 x 40 µ. Oil bodies 6-10 per cell, composed of medium sized drops, pale brownish, up to 4 x 10 µ. Amphigastria generally free from the leaves, bilobed to 3/4, lobes long, acute, divergent, lateral margin with a generally long, arcuate tooth, one cell wide, lobes diverging 60°-90°, sinus obtuse. Frequently a cilia from the stem below the lateral margin of the insertion of the amphigastrium. Female bracts ovate-oblong, bilobed to 1/3-1/4, synus subacute, lobes acute, triangular-broadly lanceolate. Bracteole bilobed to 1/3 and with a tooth on the lateral margin. Perianth deeply trilobed, lobes with large lacinulate teeth. Spores 10-14 µ, brown, smooth-finelly punctate. Elaters 6 x 140 µ. Androecia long, apical or intercalary, with up to 15 pairs of bracts, lobule of the bracts with one-several acute teeth in the free margin, monandrous.
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Distribution

Lophocolea difformis world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID 35191823
WFO ID wfo-0001200887
COL ID 3W2YY
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 728012
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Lophocolea borbonica Lophocolea difformis