THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF MYRIOCOLEA IRRORATA (LEJEUNEACEAE), AN ENDANGERED LIVERWORT OF THE ECUADORIAN ANDES.
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Accession number;04A0099891
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| Title;THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF MYRIOCOLEA IRRORATA (LEJEUNEACEAE), AN ENDANGERED LIVERWORT OF THE ECUADORIAN ANDES. |
| Author;
GRADSTEIN S R
(Univ. Goettingen, Goettingen, Deu)
REINER-DREHWALD M E
(Univ. Goettingen, Goettingen, Deu)
JOST L
(South American Explorers, Quito, Ecu)
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Journal Title;J Hattori Bot Lab
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Journal Code:Y0255A
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ISSN:0073-0912
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VOL.;NO.95;PAGE.235-248(2004)
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| Figure&Table&Reference;FIG.6, REF.22 |
| Pub. Country;Japan |
| Language;English |
| Abstract;The rare, redlisted liverwort Myriocolea irrorata Spruce (Lejeuneaceae), known only from type material collected in the Ecuadorian Andes in 1857, was recollected along two tributaries of the Rio Pastaza, Ecuador, including the Rio Topo where the species was originally discovered. Myriocolea Spruce is a monospecific genus characterized by a very unusual suit of morphological features, including purely athecal, Radula type branching, transverse leaves without (?) lobule, underleaves without a trace of rhizoids and rhizoid disc, male bracts with numerous (up to 7) antheridia, and the extremely high number of clustered gynoecia. New observations on branching, stem anatomy, leaf cells, oil bodies, leaf and underleaf morphology, gametoecia, sporophyte morphology, geographical distribution, and habitat of Myriocolea are presented. Leaf segmentation in Myriocolea is pendular, not spiral as previously reported. Cladistic analysis has shown that the genus belongs in the Cololejeunea clade and is sister to the South American endemic genus Myriocoleopsis. Myriocolea irrorata grows abundantly along the Rio Topo on small, periodically submerged Cuphaea bombonasae shrubs, together with the rare Myriocoleopsis gymnocolea. The restricted range of Myriocolea irrorata is explained by the unusual topography and geomorphology of the habitat of the species. The planned construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Rio Topo justifies the placement of Myriocolea irrorata on the World Red List. (author abst.) |
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