Kurzia G.Martens
Kurzia G.Martens, Flora 53(27): 417. 1870.
Lepidozia subg. Microlepidozia Spruce, J. Bot. 14: 165. 1876. Microlepidozia (Spruce) Jörg., Bergens Mus. Skr. 16: 303. 1934.
Dendrolembidium Herzog, Ark. Bot., ser. 2, 1: 497. 1951 (preprint) (1952, journal).
Micrisophylla Fulford, Brittonia 14: 124. 1962.
Type: Kurzia crenacanthoidea G.Martens
Plants isophyllous to strongly anisophyllous, ascending to erect, rarely creeping, deep green to olive-green to brown to fuscous, dull-textured, tiny to vigorous. Branching irregularly to regularly 1–2(3)-pinnate, the primary and secondary branches usually ± abbreviated, often weaker, the stems with persistent apical dominance, dendritic in a few species; branches normally all terminal, typically Frullania type on one side of axis, Microlepidozia type on the other (the pattern somewhat irregular in some taxa); ventral-intercalary branches present; lateral-intercalary branches present in Kurzia moniliformis; main shoots and, more often, lateral branches frequently becoming flagelliform, microphyllous and rhizoid-bearing. Stems firm, the cortical cells in (8)10–20(24) rows, usually thicker-walled and slightly to more often moderately larger than the medullary cells. Leaves usually spreading from stem, the lobes ± erect, the insertion transverse (the leaves then vertically oriented) to ± succubous in a few species (to weakly incubous in K. helophila); leaves usually symmetric or virtually so, divided to 0.5–0.75(0.85) their length into 3–4(7) narrow, tapered, subequal to somewhat unequal lobes, the lobe margins usually entire; disc 2–10(12) cells high, the margins with teeth or spurs or entire. Cells small, usually ± firm-walled and rigid, quadrate to oblong but not narrowly rectangular, without trigones; surface mostly papillose to striolate. Oil-bodies small and reduced, or absent. Underleaves from 0.2–0.95 the size of lateral leaves, 3–4(6)-lobed, symmetric or often asymmetric due to abortion of 1–2(3) lobes that terminate in a slime papilla. Asexual reproduction lacking or via caducous leaf lobes.
Dioecious. Androecia usually on abbreviated, ventral-intercalary branches (rarely on leading branches); bracts in 2–8 or more pairs, the antheridia 1 per bract, the stalk 1- or 2-seriate. Gynoecia normally on short ventral-intercalary branches (rarely on long leafy axes), isophyllous, with (2)3–5 series of progressively larger bracts and bracteoles, the innermost with apex 2–4-lobed or -lobulate or crenate-denticulate, the margins often dentate or ciliate. Perianth long, ± fusiform, bluntly trigonous, tapered toward the mouth, the mouth lobulate to ciliate; perianth 2–3(4)-stratose in basal portion.
Seta with 8–10 rows of outer cells surrounding an inner core of 16–18 much smaller cells or (Kurzia compacta) 13 rows of outer cells surrounding ca. 42 much smaller cells. Capsule wall 2–3-stratose; outer layer of cells with alternating (secondary) walls with nodular thickenings, the other walls hyaline; innermost layer of cells with semiannular bands complete to incomplete.
Spores papillose to verruculose-vermiculate or with dome-shaped coarse bosses, 1–1.5× diam. of elaters. Elaters bispiral.
Key to Species
A genus of about 32 species. Nine species occur in Australasia, six from our area plus Kurzia sexfida (Steph.) Grolle (Tasmania), K. dendroides (Carrington & Pearson) Grolle (New South Wales) and K. verticillata (Carrington) Grolle (Tasmania). Four species occur in southern South America, all belonging to subg. Micrisophylla (Fulford) J.J.Engelex R.M.Schust.; these are K. setiformis (De Not.) J.J.Engel & R.M.Schust., K. mollis (Steph.) J.J.Engel & R.M.Schust., K. saddlensis (Besch. & C.Massal.) Grolle and K. cucullifolia (Steph.) R.M.Schust. One species, K. fragillima (Herzog) Grolle of Juan Fernandez Islands, was placed in subg. Microlepidozia by Schuster (2000a). The genus extends to the Neotropics (three or four species occur there according to Gradstein et al., 2001) and four are cold-Laurasian. The genus ranges through the Paleotropics north to Japan. The phylogenetic analysis in Engel and Merrill (2004) indicated that Kurzia, as defined by the presence of Microlepidozia -type branching, is polyphyletic, and five species previously assigned to Kurzia were transferred to Telaranea. The transferred species from our area are K. quadriseta, K. trilobata, K. fragilifolia and K. quinquespina.
Until relatively recently, the name Microlepidozia (Spruce) Jörg. was used for this genus, until Grolle (1964b, 1965e) resurrected the older generic name Kurzia G.Martens, which was originally applied to a minute species believed to belong to the red algae (Rhodophyta). Kurzia contains five subgenera; subg. Microlepidozia and subg. Dendrolembidium occur in New Zealand.
As Engel and Merrill (2004) demonstrated, Kurzia, as traditionally constituted, is polyphyletic. The circumscription of Kurzia is more uniform after the transfer to Telaranea of several taxa (Engel and Merrill, 2004). Kurzia is characterized by a number of features, some occurring throughout the genus, others distinct tendencies; these are: 1) presence of Microlepidozia -type branching; 2) underleaf lobes differentiated; 3) plants often developing brownish or fuscous pigmentation; 4) leaves and underleaves with a dense areolation, comprised of evenly thick-walled cells that are small in size and always devoid of trigones; 5) leaves and underleaves often armed with spurs or teeth; 6) surface of leaf lobes and disc typically striate-papillose; 7) leaves usually transversely oriented, and often deeply and palmately (3)4-lobed, with narrow, linear to lanceolate lobes; 8) plants, even when helophytic, tend to have a relatively firm cortex, normally somewhat to strongly thick-walled; 9) leafy shoots tending to develop geotropic, microphyllous axes and lateral leafy branches infrequently or not tapered and rhizoidous; and 10) oil-bodies small and reduced or absent.
References: Engel and Merrill (1996b); Engel (2005a); Grolle (1964b); Hodgson (1956); Schuster (1969c, 1980a, 2000a).
