Herzogobryum vermiculare (Schiffn.) Grolle
Gymnomitrium vermiculare Schiffn. in Naumann, Forschungsr. Gazelle 4(4): 2. pl. 1, f. 9, 10. 1890.
Herzogobryum vermiculare (Schiffn.) Grolle, J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 28: 103. 1965.
Type: Kerguelen, Successful Harbor, 1874, Naumann.
Chondrophyllum cucullatum Herzog, Rev. Bryol. Lichénol. 21: 46. f. 1–2. 1952.
Herzogobryum cucullatum (Herzog) Grolle, Rev. Bryol. Lichénol. 32: 160. 1963.
Type: Chile, Prov. Aisén, Cerro Tesoro, ca. 1000 m, 13 Feb. 1940, Schwabe 39c p. p.
Plants fleshy (rather than wiry), rather rigid when dry, greenish throughout or, more often, brownish green to brick-red on leaves within the hyaline border, the plants relatively vigorous, the shoots (including leaves) 625–685 µm wide, rarely larger, 10–20 mm long or more, remotely to loosely catenulate-leaved. Branching rather common but irregular, the branches mostly lateral-intercalary from near ventral end of leaf axils; Frullania -type branches sometimes present; flagelliform, microphyllous branches lacking. Stems rigid and stout, the cortex in 1 layer of rather thin-walled, tangentially flattened cells surrounding 2–3 strata of progressively firmer-walled intracortical cells that are subisodiametric in cross section; medullary cells strongly thick-walled, with reduced lumina (in cross sections often angular to substellate). Rhizoids rare or absent. Leaves erect to suberect, appressed to stem, the base clasping the stem, the leaves remote to contiguous (the stem always ± exposed in dorsal view), the insertion forming an acroscopically arched line; leaves usually (2)3-stratose except for apices and marginal sectors, strongly cochleariform-concave (in cross section lunate), subrotundate but (because of the strongly concave form) impossible to flatten without tearing, undivided, the margins indistinctly crenulate. Cells of leaves (epidermal, abaxial) ± irregularly polygonal to short-oblong, somewhat thick-walled, trigones lacking or distinct and small, the median cells 14–20 × (16)18–24(26) µm, the cells ± similar in size almost throughout leaf; surface smooth. Underleaves absent. Fungal partner absent.
Dioecious. Androecia compactly spicate, the bracts in 3–4 to many pairs, contiguous to closely imbricate (the hyaline marginal sectors ± closely appressed to bracts immediately above), strongly concave, orbicular, entire; antheridia monandrous, the stalk 2-seriate. Gynoecia terminal on leading shoots or ± elongated lateral-intercalary branches, the bracts in 2–3 closely imbricate pairs, grading below into leaves, the inner bracts of innermost series often strongly dimorphic: one 3–4-lobed or lobulate, very broadly ovate and wider than long, the other usually shallowly lobed or lobulate at apex and ovate; bracteole distinct, free, rather large, lanceolate. Perianth and bracts forming a compact, mostly ovoid to obovate capitulum, the bracts closely sheathing perianth base, but distal half or more of perianth emergent, the perianth terete below, conspicuously plicate above, not compressed above, contracted to a rather small mouth, the mouth shallowly lobulate, the lobules fimbriolate by processes terminating in a uniseriate row of 2–4 cells; perianth mostly 6–7-stratose below, remaining 2(3)-stratose to within 0.2 of apex.
Seta massive, of numerous rows. Capsule spherical, the wall rather firm (at least locally 3-stratose), the valves brittle and usually fragmenting after spore discharge; outer layer of cells mostly oblong, with very strong, often opposed, nodular thickenings of longer walls, the transverse walls frequently with a pair of such thickenings; inner layer of cells less regular, often narrowly oblong, variable, with much weaker nodular thickenings.
Spores 14–18 µm in diam., minutely granulate. Elaters short and slender, hardly to quite tortuous, with blunt ends, 8–9 µm wide, with 2 or 3 spirals, the spirals often rather lax to close, narrow, under 2 µm wide.
Distribution and Ecology : Mainly subantarctic in distribution; New Zealand: South Island (1650 m), North Island (1790 m); South Georgia, Falkland Islands, southern South America only at ca. 1000 m in the Valdivian region, Kerguelen Island, Marion Island, Prince Edward Island (Schuster, 1996d) (also cf. Engel, 1990a).
A species known from a few scattered loci. In the alpine zone immediately below the summit of Avalanche Peak (Arthur’s Pass Natl. Park, 1650 m) occurring admixed with Acrolophozia pectinata and Nothogymnomitrion erosum in a protected niche of a rock outcrop. Also on the northern slope of Mt. Ruapehu (S of Top of the Bruce, Tongariro Natl. Park, 1790 m) on soil under a ledge of an outcrop in an area of cliffs and outcrops with scattered alpine plants.
Comments : Plants of this species in situ and even when dry may be distinguished from other members of the genus and from Nothogymnomitrion (both of which are commonly admixed) by the smaller plant size coupled with the remotely to loosely catenulate-leaved shoots. Leaves are unlobed and 2–3-stratose (exclusive of the hyaline border); all other members of the genus have unistratose leaves (aside from a basal field at times present in some species).
