Telaranea pennata J.J.Engel & G.L.Merr.
Telaranea pennata J.J.Engel & Merrill, Phytologia 79: 252. June 1996 (1995).
Holotype: New Zealand, South Is., Westland Prov., Route 73, 8 miles W of Turiwhate, Engel 6754 (F); isotype: (CHR).
Plants rather stiff, loosely prostrate, loosely matted, pale green to olive-green, nitid when dry; plants medium, to 1 cm wide, including branches. Branching very regularly 1-pinnate, the branches of the Frullania type, rather long for plant size; branch half-leaf bifid, narrowly rectangular, the lobes parallel to weakly diverging; first branch underleaf undivided, subulate, (rarely bilobed) inserted on ventral side of branch at juncture of branch and main axis. Ventral-intercalary branches occasional, becoming leading leafy shoots. Stems with cortical cells distinctly differentiated, rather thick-walled, in 12–13 rows; cortical cells in section much larger than the numerous (ca. 80) medullary cells. Leaves on main shoot rigid, obliquely spreading, contiguous to imbricate, the disc ± plane, the lobes somewhat ventrally deflexed, the insertion strongly incubous; leaves 330–390 µm wide × 315–435 µm long, moderately asymmetric (the dorsal margin shorter), 4(5)-lobed to 0.4–0.45, the lobes shorter than the disc. Leaves on branches closely and regularly imbricate, the ventral lobes subfalcate, appearing as if brushed toward shoot apex. Lobes acute to weakly acuminate, the dorsal lobe shortest, the 2 ventral lobes largest, somewhat paired and often subfalcate (especially on branches), the largest leaf lobes (4)5–8 cells wide at extreme base, terminating in a short uniseriate row of 2–4 cells (ca. half or less the length of lobe); lobe cells short, ± isodiametric to short-rectangular, thick-walled, the cell walls of uniseriate row somewhat thickened in the corners but the septa not swollen and projecting at the lobe margin; surface smooth to finely striate-papillose at lobe tips. Disc subsymmetrically quadrate-rectangular to obliquely trapezoidal, 6–9 cells high (8–10 cells high in branch leaves), 16–19 cells wide in distal portion narrowing to 8–9 cells wide in basal portion; dorsal margin straight to weakly incurved, the ventral rounded. Cells of disc small, evenly thick-walled and firm, trigones lacking, the median cells elongate, 16–26 µm wide × 30–40 µm long, often elongated longitudinally, following the contour of the leaf; basal row of disc cells larger (especially in ventral-basal sector); surface smooth. Underleaves much smaller than leaves, 0.9–1× stem width, strongly spreading, distant, plane, 4-lobed to 0.5–0.6, the lobes somewhat divergent, narrowly acuminate, the uniseriate portion formed of 3–4 short cells, terminating in a slime papilla; disc symmetrically subrectangular (wider than high), 3(4) cells high (median sinus), the cells ± regularly arranged, the disc 8 cells wide. Asexual reproduction lacking.
Androecia and gynoecia not seen.
Distribution and Ecology : Known only from the type locality, a dryish forest in Westland, where the species occurs both over rock and fallen logs in a streambed.
Comments : The species may be immediately distinguished by the highly regular, neatly combed appearance of the branches (Fig. 52: 1) and the characteristic asymmetry of the leaves—the dorsal lobe shortest, and the ± paired ventral lobes appearing brushed toward the branch tips (Fig. 52: 3, 4). Many of our Telaranea taxa have asymmetrical Lepidozia -like leaves (e.g., T. paludicola), with the dorsal lobes paired and often distinctly larger than the ventral. The leaves in T. pennata, however, are almost a mirror image of the typical Lepidozia -type leaf. Also, the leaf lobes in T. pennata are broader than in any other New Zealand Telaranea (up to 8 cells wide at the base).
