Dicranodontium Schwabei (Bryophyta, Dicranaceae) Revisited: Some Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Considerations

Dicranodontium schwabei Thér. & Herzog, a poorly known species from Western Patagonia in Chile, is briefly assessed taxonomically. Some morphological and anatomical details of the species are illustrated and the problems associated with the typification of its name are discussed. The conspecificity of this species and Chorisodontium aciphyllum (Hook.f. & Wilson) Broth. is confirmed and the geographical distribution and ecology of the latter species is briefly reviewed.

Fissidens Subgenus Aloma (Bryophyta) in Tropical Africa I. the Large-Celled Costate and Ecostate Species

A revision of the large-celled costate and ecostate species of Fissidens subgenus Aloma Kindb. from tropical Africa is presented. Fissidens flaccidus var. mammillosus Brugg.-Nann. var. nov. is described and the Neotropical F. mollis Mitt. is reinstated. Most African specimens previously identified as F. enervis Sim are referred to Fissidens dealbatus Hook. f. & Wilson, a new indigene for Africa. Fissidens molliculus P. de la Varde, F. hedbergii P. de la Varde and F. hookerioides Bizot & Onr. in Bizot are subsumed under F. dealbatus. Fissidens enervis s.str. appeared to be a rare species. The distributions in O’Shea (2006) are revised, updated and, when necessary, amended. Fissidens flaccidus Mitt. is for the first time reported from South Africa and Guinea, F. zollingeri Mont. from Ghana, F. grandifolius Broth. & P. de la Varde from Cameroon and F. usambaricus Broth. from Malawi and Gabon. Pending further research, F. palmatus Hedw. is excluded from the African bryoflora. It is stressed that, since vegetative and perichaetial stems are different, perichaetial stems (and leaves of perichaetial stems) are to be compared with perichaetial stems (and leaves of perichaetial stems), whereas vegetative stems (and leaves of vegetative stems) should be compared with other vegetative stems (and leaves of vegetative stems).

The Genus Woronichinia (Cyanobacteria) in Natural Lakes of Drawa National Park (Poland)

Woronichinia Elenkin is a cyanobacteria genus characteristic of lentic ecosystems. The type species, W. naegeliana (Unger) Elenkin, often blooms in the plankton of eutrophic reservoirs but this genus also contains species sensitive to high nutrient concentrations. The study analyzed the diversity and biomass of Woronichinia in lakes in a national park, isolated from the direct impact of human activity. The lakes were in various trophic states resulting from gradual and natural changes of trophy. Trophy was assessed with the use of the trophic diatom index, according to the classification we proposed for natural lakes. The relationship between the biomass and the trophic state of lakes was investigated with the use of multivariate unconstrained analysis with supplementary variables. Five species of Woronichinia were identified in all trophic types of lakes except for two oligotrophic ones: W. compacta (Lemmerm.) Komárek & Hindák, W. delicatula (Skuja) Komárek & Hindák, W. karelica Komárek & Komárk.-Legn., W. obtusa Joosten and W. naegeliana (Unger) Elenkin. The occurrence and biomass of the species were related to the trophic state of the lakes. The absence of Woronichinia in two oligotrophic lakes could be due to the high concentration of humic compounds in the sediments. The low nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratio characteristic of the oligo-mesotrophic lakes resulted in increased species diversity. The lakes’ isolation from human activity fostered the development of rare and sensitive species such as W. delicatula and W. karelica.

Nomenclatural Novelties in the Bryaceae (Bryophyta)

The taxonomic and nomenclatural history of the broadly conceived genus Bryum Hedw. is briefly outlined. Twenty-one species, originating mostly from the Southern Hemisphere and traditionally classified in this genus, have been transferred to the widely accepted segregates of Bryum, including six in Imbribryum N. Pedersen, three in Leptostomopsis (Broth.) J. R. Spence & H. P. Ramsay, one in Plagiobryoides J. R. Spence, nine in Ptychostomum Hornsch. and two in Rosulabryum J. R. Spence.

The Correct Name for Didymodon Validus (Bryophyta, Pottiaceae) at Variety Rank

Didymodon validus Limpr. is not universally recognised as a species in its own right but it is often considered a variety, D. rigidulus Hedw. var. validus (Limpr.) Düll. The epithet validus was used at varietal rank only in 1923, as Barbula rigidula (Hedw.) Mitt. var. valida (Limpr.) Broth., but this taxon was actually recognised as a variety, B. rigidula var. gigantea Schlieph. ex Warnst., already in 1904, and this name is lectotypified herein. Accordingly, the transfer of this variety to Didymodon Hedw., as D. rigidulus var. giganteus (Schlieph. ex Warnst.) Ochyra & Bednarek-Ochyra, comb. nov., is effected. This is the correct name for this Central European-Central Asian montane taxon at variety rank. Didymodon validus is considered a new synonym of D. rigidulus var. giganteus.

Bryophyte Records from the Eastern Nigerian Highlands

A preliminary inventory of the eastern Nigerian highlands yielded 27 bryophyte species (5 liverworts, 22 mosses), including 13 species new for the country (2 liverworts and 11 mosses). The large percentage of new national records (ca 52%) indicates that the eastern Nigerian highland has rich bryophyte diversity and is undercollected. A more detailed inventory of the region using more rigorous sampling protocols is recommended.

Euglenoids from the El Farafra Oasis (Western Desert, Egypt)

The paper reports the first detailed study of the diversity of euglenoids recorded from the El Farafra Oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt. Four of the 20 identified species are new records for the Egyptian algal flora: the colorless Peranema inflexum Skuja, and the three pigmented species Euglena adhaerens Matv., Phacus crassus Zakryś & M. Łukomska and Ph. cristatus Zakryś & M. Łukomska. A brief description and original documentation are given for each reported morphospecies.

Seven Species of Freshwater Lichen-Forming Fungi Newly Recorded from Poland

This paper presents seven freshwater lichen species from Western Carpathian streams: Bryobilimbia ahlesii (Körb.) Fryday et al., Rhizocarpon sublavatum Fryday, Thelidium circumspersellum (Nyl.) Zschacke, T. klementii Servít, T. pluvium Orange, T. rehmii Zschacke and Verrucaria devensis (G. Salisbury) Orange. All of them are first records for Poland. Thelidium klementii is new for the Carpathians and was previously known only from the type locality in Germany. Morphological descriptions based on Polish specimens are presented, and the ecology and geographical distribution of these lichens are briefly discussed.

A New Synonym of Dilutineuron Corrugatum (Grimmiaceae, Bryophyta) from Japan

The type material of Racomitrium canescens (Hedw.) Brid. fo. erythrophyllum Sakurai from Japan is taxonomically evaluated. This form perfectly falls within the range of variation of Dilutineuron corrugatum (Bednarek-Ochyra) Bednarek- Ochyra, Sawicki, Ochyra, Szczecińska & Plášek and, accordingly, R. canescens fo. erythrophyllum is reduced to synonymy with this species name.

Notes on Colura Crenulata (Lejeuneaceae, Marchantiophyta), a New Record for Thailand, with a Sporophyte Description

Colura crenulata Grolle (Lejeuneaceae), a rare and poorly known species from Papua New Guinea, Sumatra and Borneo, was newly discovered in tropical montane forests in southern Thailand. It is characterized by its acutely mamillose lobule sac and perianth; apical crest of the lobule sac consisting of 1-5 cells; large valve composed of 18-21 hyaline margin cells and 20-29 median cells, with a single median basal cell; and nearly entire dorsal margin of the leaf. This species is described and illustrated in detail, and its diagnostic characters and a comparison with the related species are briefly treated.