Chloranthelia R.M.Schust.
Maculia E.A.Hodgs., Trans. Roy. Soc. New Zealand, Bot. 3: 72. 1965.
Type: Chloranthelia denticulata (Steph.) R.M.Schust. (≡Lembidium denticulatum Steph.)
Plants anisophyllous, erect or prostrate, greyish to pure green (without ability to develop secondary pigmentation), dull-textured and water-repellent when dry; leafy shoots small, the apices never with autonomous curvature. Branching normally all axillary and intercalary, from axils of both leaves and/or underleaves, the leafy branches ascending to erect, arising from and/or freely giving rise to geotropic, pale, leafless rhizomes or stolons which freely bear rhizoids, the leafy shoots usually unbranched, very rarely and sporadically producing a terminal, Frullania -type branch. Stem soft, with or without a hyalodermis; cortex with large, pellucid cells that are equal in size to or larger than the very leptodermous medullary cells; cortical cells in surface view oblong, lying in sharply defined tiers, superior in size to leaf cells. Rhizoids sparsely developed on leafy shoots, but if present, then toward shoot bases. Leaves adaxially concave or concave-canaliculate, but never canaliculate-conduplicate, unistratose, soft-textured, chlorophyllose except sometimes for marginal and submarginal cells, which are at times ± thicker-walled and hyaline, the insertion transverse to very weakly succubous; mature leaves variable, asymmetrically lobed, either 2(3)- or 3–4(5)-lobed for less than 0.35 their length; margins entire or denticulate-dentate. Cells non-collenchymatous, rather large, but an area basalis or apicalis not differentiated, in median and basal sectors ± oblong, the marginal cells typically echlorophyllose; surface clearly papillose. Oil-bodies completely lacking, only a few scattered, tiny, glistening oil-droplets present. Chloroplasts numerous, small: 1.4–2.4 × 2.4–4.3 µm. Underleaves distinct, 0.1–0.65× area of lateral leaves, erect-appressed and often nearly hiding stem, present throughout, the apex variable, 2–4-dentate or -lobulate; lamina margins as on leaves. Asexual reproduction lacking.
Dioecious. Androecia (known only for Chloranthelia denticulata) at base of abbreviated branches that may proliferate distally, lateral- or ventral-intercalary, spicate; bracts leaf-like, slightly smaller than leaves; antheridia 1 per bract, the stalk biseriate. Gynoecia arising on short, abbreviated, intercalary branches bearing at most 1–2 cycles of minute leaves, the branches either from axils of lateral leaves, or from axils of underleaves; bracts small, hyaline, leptodermous, suberect. Perianth mouth lobulate-incised, fimbriolate with long, linear cells distally.
Seta with 8 rows of outer cells surrounding 7–8 rows of smaller internal cells.
Spore wall asperulate. Elaters bispiral.
The genus includes two species, Chloranthelia denticulata (Steph.) R.M.Schust. of New Caledonia and C. berggrenii of New Zealand.
References: Schuster and Engel (1987b; mon.); Schuster (2000a).
