Jamesoniella colorata (Lehm.) Schiffn.
Jungermannia colorata Lehm., Linnaea 4: 366. 1829.
There are no synonyms involving Australasia; for a full synonymy, see Grolle (1971a).
Plants prostrate to erect, the shoot tips slightly ascending, the plants green to (often) reddish, dull, to 1.4 mm wide (broadest in lateral aspect). Branching chiefly ventral-intercalary, with terminal, Frullania -type branches rarely present; stolons rarely present. Stems tough, flexuous, becoming light brown, the cortex not distinctly differentiated, of 1(2) layers of slightly smaller cells with strongly thickened walls; medullary cells unevenly thick-walled. Rhizoids from ventral side of stem, extending almost to shoot apex. Leaves mostly laxly imbricate, when dry ± laterally appressed to stem, when moistened obliquely spreading, stiffly vertically oriented, dorsally assurgent, the insertion succubous, recurved at ventral end, the attachment a little less than half the leaf width; leaves 800–1300 µm wide × 800–1400 µm long, orbicular to broadly elliptic, entire (the ventral-apical margin rarely apiculate), shell-like, concave, the margins narrowly inflexed, ± reflexed near the dorsal base, the median-basal portion of the leaf weakly sheathing; apex rounded, rarely somewhat truncate; dorsal margin distinctly decurrent. Cells evenly thick-walled, but in median optical section with thin walls and trigones medium and straight-sided to bulging; cells of upper median portion of leaf ± isodiametric, (12)15–25(30) µm wide and long; median-basal cells larger and somewhat elongated, with knot-like, often confluent trigones, forming an indistinct field; leaf margins often with several rows of cells bleached out and/or thick-walled, the marginal cells with free wall strongly thickened; surface of both leaf surfaces coarsely papillose, the papillae large, high and hemispherical (guttulate), crowded, 3–6(8) per cell, the basal leaf cells coarsely striate-papillose. Oil-bodies 3–5(8) per cell at midleaf, 10–14 per cell at leaf base, 3–5 near leaf margin, finely granular, the surface almost smooth, spherical and 4–6 µm in diam., grading to broadly ellipsoidal and 4–8 × 6–10 µm. Underleaves reduced, united with the ventral leaf margin as a lateral spur or subulate to ciliiform appendage, the uniseriate portion up to 13 cells long, the free margin decurrent on the stem. Fungal partner absent.
Androecia on leading shoots, slightly wider than vegetative sectors, with up to 10 pairs of bracts; bracts strongly saccate in basal portion; lobule sharply inflexed, the apex often apiculate to acuminate, the free margin entire or with 1–2 teeth; antheridia solitary, the stalk biseriate. Gynoecia innovating, notable when young and without a distinct perianth as a tight, ciliate bud; subinvolucral leaves scarcely enlarged, the bracts of innermost series exserted and plainly visible at base of perianth, free from one another, both irregularly laciniate and with accessory lobes, the ultimate divisions ending in a uniseriate row of up to 11 cells, the sinus bases armed with spines; bracteole free or ± broadly united with one of the bracts and of about the same length, dissected as in the bracts. Perianth narrowly oblong (subcylindrical) to fusiform, strongly pleated in the upper 0.25–0.5, strongly contracted to the truncate mouth, the mouth shallowly lobulate, weakly crenulate, the marginal and submarginal cells ± evenly thick-walled and isodiametric or (rarely) ± elongate, usually soon becoming bleached and eroded; cells of perianth proper isodiametric and with moderately thickened walls like the leaf cells; perianth 4–5-stratose in basal ca. 0.3.
Capsule ellipsoidal, the wall 35–45 µm thick, 5-stratose; outer layer of cells with the radial longitudinal walls with nodular thickenings, the thickenings of adjoining cells often in opposing pairs; innermost layer of cells with thickened longitudinal walls, with semiannular bands common, rather wide, complete or occasionally tapering before reaching the opposite wall.
Spores 18.2–22 µm in diam., verrucate (coarsely and irregularly warty). Elaters bispiral, 7.2–8.6 µm wide.
Distribution and Ecology : Pan-south-temperate including New Zealand: Campbell Island, Auckland Islands (150–640 m), Antipodes Islands (300–370 m), Stewart Island (500–695 m), South Island (230–1530 m), North Island (290–1700 m); Australia: Macquarie Island, Tasmania, southeast Australia; Falkland Islands; southern South America; Tristan da Cunha; Inaccessible Island; Africa (South Africa, Natal, Transvaal); Marion Island; Prince Edward Island; Crozet Island; Kerguelen Island. With a distribution similar to Cryptochila grandiflora of the same family, but unlike that species Jamesoniella colorata has not penetrated north beyond temperate regions in any of the sectors. In New Zealand known from Fiordland, Southland, Otago, Westland, Canterbury (including Banks Peninsula), Western Nelson, Sounds–Nelson, Marlborough, Southern North Island, Volcanic Plateau, Taranaki (Mt. Taranaki), Gisborne and Auckland (Rangitoto Island, Mt. Moehau) EPs.
The species occurs in upper-elevation forests and in the penalpine–alpine zones, particularly where there is exposure. It often is saxicolous, particularly where a thick layer of soil has accumulated over rock, or terricolous, and rather frequently occurs with Cuspidatula monodon. It is occasional at lower elevations, such as on roadside banks at ca. 480–650 m, ca. 3 km east of Te Aroha. Also on small upper tree branches, such as Weinmannia, occurring, for example, with Pseudomarsupidium piliferum at 950 m in a stunted mixed-age Nothofagus menziesii forest with Weinmannia and Ixerba brexioides codominant (Mt. Te Aroha). It has a curious presence on Rangitoto Island (Auckland, 50–160 m), occurring on thick soil over lava rock in a Metrosideros forest over the lava flow. At that site it occurs with several other taxa that typically occur at higher elevations, such as Cuspidatula monodon. Other species that occur with Jamesoniella colorata are Anastrophyllum schismoides, Andreaea acutifolia, A. acuminata, Campylopus clavatus, Categonium nitens, Cladia aggregata, C. retipora, Cladonia confusa, Conostomum pentastichum, Cryptochila acinacifolia, Diplophyllum domesticum var. icari, Ditrichum punctulatum, Frullania rostrata, Goebeliella cornigera, Hypnum cupressiforme, Isotachis intortifolia, Racomitrium crispulum, R. pruinosum, Rhacocarpus purpurascens, Siphula fragilis and Stereocaulon ramulosum.
Comments : The species may be recognized most readily by the coarse, crowded, high and hemispherical (guttulate) papillae, only 3–6(8) per cell at midleaf (Fig. 157: 6, 7). The aspect of the plant is also distinctive, the leaves are stiffly vertically oriented and have the same shell-like, concave appearance when wet or dry (Plate 14: B, G; Fig. 157: 1). Older plants or specimens in poor condition may have the papillae eroded and indistinct. In such cases, the presence of trigones will distinguish this species from Cryptochila grandiflora. For additional differences between these species, see comments under the latter. Cryptochila nigrescens is similar in aspect, but can be distinguished from Jamesoniella colorata by the interlocking dorsal leaf bases (Fig. 161: 1) and the absence of surface papillae.
