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Acrolejeunea meghalayensis, a new synonym of Acrolejeunea recurvata

(Lejeuneaceae: Marchantiophyta)

Article  in  Phytotaxa · November 2017

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.328.1.7

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 Phytotaxa 328 (1): 095–098 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition)
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Correspondence PHYTOTAXA
Copyright © 2017 Magnolia Press ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition)

https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.328.1.7

Acrolejeunea meghalayensis, a new synonym of Acrolejeunea recurvata

(Lejeuneaceae: Marchantiophyta)
SHUVADEEP MAJUMDAR* & MONALISA DEY
Botanical Survey of India, Central National Herbarium, Howrah – 711 103, West Bengal, India
* Corresponding author: E-mail: shuvadeep.majumdar@gmail.com

Acrolejeunea meghalayensis is designated as a synonym under A. recurvata.

Key Words: Acrolejeunea, A. meghalayensis, A. recurvata, Lejeuneaceae, Trocholejeunea

Acrolejeunea (Spruce 1884: 115) Schiffner (1893: 128) is composed of 21 species including one fossil species in the world
with maximum diversity in Southeast Asia (Gradstein 1975, Wang et al. 2014). The genus is represented by 9 species
including A. meghalayensis (Singh & Nath 2008: 2) Wang et al. (2014: 39) in India (Singh et al. 2016). On the basis of
molecular phylogenetic studies, Wang et al. (2014) synonymised the genus Trocholejeunea Schiffner in Dixon et al. (1932:
160) with Acrolejeunea and transferred all the species of Trocholejeunea to Acrolejeunea. One of the transferred species,
T. meghalayensis Singh & Nath (2008: 2) (= A. meghalayensis), a species from India is known only from the sterile type
specimen. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the status of A. meghalayensis.
The genus Acrolejeunea is circumscribed to include species with Lejeunea-type or Frullania-type branches, stems with
hyalodermis, dorsal epidermal cells usually larger than ventral epidermal cells, imbricate leaves, leaf lobes and underleaves
with entire margins, leaf cells with cordate trigones, homogeneous oil bodies, epistatic male bracts with one antheridium,
perianths obovate-cylindrical to obpyriform, sometimes shortly stalked, more or less bilaterally compressed with the ventral
side swollen, 5–10-keeled, plicae usually smooth, rarely “rough” with rudimentary wing-like projections and a non-articulate
seta with (14–) 16 (–17) –32 outer cell rows and 4–16 inner cell rows, capsule with mono- to irregularly plurifenestrate
sheath of thickenings, with base 3–4-stratose, spore surface covered with numerous short bluntish papillae and 6–12 rosettes
of radially oriented coarse, sharp papillae (Gradstein 1975, Wang et al. 2014).
Acrolejeunea recurvata Gradstein (1975: 79) is characterised by dorsal epidermal cells in zig-zag longitudinal rows,
ventral merophytes 4–10 cells wide, upright flagellae, often with a broken tip, which often appear to be barren because the
underleaves are more or less narrower than the axis and more or less appressed to the flagella, closely imbricate lateral leaves
with orbicular-ovate lobes having more or less recurved dorsal margin, leaf lobule with 3–6 teeth, imbricate underleaves with
recurved apices, lobule of female bracts shorter than lobe and perianth with 5–8 sharp, flexuose keels (Gradstein 1975, Wang
et al. 2014).
Acrolejeunea recurvata is morphologically similar to the African and American A. emergens Mitten (1879: 397) in
the presence of upright flagellae producing caducous leaves and appressed or obliquely spreading underleaves. But the
latter differs in having plane underleaf apices, lobules with 2–4 teeth, flagellae with distinct underleaves, perianth more
or less compressed above, with narrow and smooth plicae (Gradstein 1975, Wang et al. 2014). Although the two species
are morphologically similar, they are not phylogenetically related as shown by Wang et al. (2014) who placed them under
different sections, A. recurvata in sect. Recurvatae J.Wang bis & Gradst. and A. emergens in sect. Acrolejeunea.

Discussion
During the present study, the authors examined both the holotype and paratype of Acrolejeunea meghalayensis and found
it to be extremely similar to A. recurvata. From the latter species, the authors examined the holotype and several additional
collections (cited below). Both species have closely imbricate leaves with orbicular-ovate lobes having more or less recurved
dorsal margin, plane apical and recurved ventral margins (Figure 1: 1–4, 6, 8–10); leaf cells with medium to large cordate
trigones; ovate-triangular leaf lobules, being narrowly inflated along the keel, with the free margin slightly auriculate at
base and the apex of the free margin shortly continuing into the recurved ventral margin of the lobe (Figure 1: 5, 6); and
subreniform, imbricate underleaves with recurved apices (Figure 1: 5).

Accepted by Christine Cargill: 14 Sept. 2017; published: 14 Nov. 2017 95

FIGURE 1. Acrolejeunea recurvata Gradstein 1. A portion of female plant. 2. A portion of male plant. 3. A portion of plant. 4, 5. The
same enlarged. 6. A leaf. 7. A leaf lobule. 8. A portion of plant bearing flagelliform branch. 9, 10. The same enlarged. [1, 2 from A.Touw
9464 (L), holotype of A. recurvata, 3–7 from A.P. Singh 208657-B (LWG), holotype of A. meghalayensis, 8–10 from A.P. Singh 208658-
A (LWG), paratype of A. meghalayensis]

96 • Phytotaxa 328 (1) © 2017 Magnolia Press MAJUMDAR & DEY

 In the protologue of T. meghalayensis, Singh and Nath (2008) mentioned that the leaf lobule possesses 5–8 one-celled
teeth, each with a hyaline papilla. However, in the holotype (A.P. Singh 208657-B), the leaf lobule possesses 4–6 teeth while
in the paratype (A.P. Singh 208658-A), the leaf lobule has 3–5 teeth (3–6 in A. recurvata), the teeth being 1–2-celled [1–2
(–3) in A. recurvata] (Figure 1: 7), with the hyaline papilla positioned 2–3 cells below the apical tooth (as in A. recurvata).
The plants of the holotype as well as the paratype show only one hyaline papilla per lobule positioned 2–3 cells below the
apical tooth.
Furthermore, flagelliform branches, known in A. recurvata, were also observed in the paratype of T. meghalayensis,
even though they were not mentioned in the protologue (Figure 1: 8).
Thus, the characters of A. meghalayensis are well within the range of A. recurvata and hence A. meghalayensis is
designated here as a synonym of A. recurvata (Figure 1).

Acrolejeunea recurvata Gradstein (1975: 79).

TYPE:—Thailand, Nakhon Sawan, “near Karen village of Sop Aep”, 15 December 1965, A.Touw 9464 (holotype L!)
= Acrolelejeunea meghalayensis (Singh & Nath 2008: 2) Wang et al. (2014: 39) syn. nov.
TYPE:—INDIA. Meghalaya: East Khasi Hills, Nongstoin, Mawkadiang, 17 July 2000, A.P. Singh 208657-B (holotype LWG!; ibid., A.P.
Singh 208658-A (paratype LWG!).

Distribution:—India [(Meghalaya-present study), West Bengal], Laos, Thailand (Gradstein 1975).

Further specimens examined:—INDIA. West Bengal: between Darjeeling and Teesta Bridge, Darjeeling area, 2500
ft., 15 April 1965, Z. Iwatsuki, A.J. & E. Sharp 7802 (NICH). LAOS. 2 km east of Mr. Hase’s farm, ca. 20 km northeast
of Phongsavanh, or south of Ban Hang, 1000 m, 3 January 1958, T. Tuyama s.n. (NICH). THAILAND. Payap, Mt. Doi
Chiengdao, 1500–1550 m, 98 55 E 19 25 N, 6 December 1965, A. Touw 9087 (L); Nakhon Sawan, “near Karen village of
Sop Aep”, 780–820 m, 98 35 E 18 30 N, 15 December 1965, A. Touw 9468 (L); Phitsanulok, So Pek waterfall, 7 km w.o.
the forest station at Tung Salaeng Luang, 450 m, 22 July 1966, K. Larsen et al. 752 (NICH); Udawn, near Ban Na Luang,
370 m, 101 25 E 17 25 N, 6 January 1966, A. Touw 10372 (L); Khong Chiam, nature trail (behind camping area), Pha Taem
National Park, 240 m, 13 December 2008, S. Kornochalert 930 (L).
Note: In the text of the protologue the type locality of T. meghalayensis is erroneously cited as being located in “East
Khasi Hills”. However, the locality is actually located in the West Khasi Hills, as clearly shown in Fig. 12 in the original
publication.

Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Director of the Botanical Survey of India for facilities and encouragement, and for financial assistance
to the first author under the ‘Flora of India’ project. The authors are also grateful to the curators and staff of the herbaria
L, LWG and NICH for providing specimens for study, and Dr. S. Bandyopadhyay and the unknown reviewers for valuable
suggestions.

References
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