New records for the bryophyte flora of Corsica
Author
Hugonnot, Vincent
Le bourg, 43380 Blassac (France) vincent. hugonnot @ wanadoo. fr
hugonnot@wanadoo.fr
text
Cryptogamie, Bryologie
2019
2019-10-02
20
14
153
158
http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/cryptogamie-bryologie2019v40a14
journal article
10.5252/cryptogamie-bryologie2019v40a14
1776-0992
12215529
Brachytheciastrum dieckei
(Röll) Ignatov & Huttunen
SPECIMEN
EXAMINED
. —
France
. Corse-du-Sud, Quenza, plateau de Cusciunu, on rock outcrops, in
7.V.2017
,
1540 m
,
V. Hugonnot s.n.
Remarks
It was observed on granitic rock outcrops in
Alnetum suaveolentis
Litard. & Malcuit, 1926 vegetation but this does not necessarily reflect a particular preference for this
type
of habitat. The species seems rather unspecialized as regards its ecological preferences as it is recorded to grow on alkaline and acidic grounds, rocks in forests or scrublands, or as an epiphyte on trees and bushes, from
550-3250 m
a.s.l. (
Orgaz
et al.
2013
). This should be confirmed by additional field observations. The species is fully fertile in
Corsica
, with abundant production of spore capsules. It is very likely that
B. dieckei
was confused with the very common
B. velutinum
(Hedw.) Ignatov & Huttunen.
Brachytheciastrum dieckei
is a Mediterranean species, known from Africa, Asia and Europe (
Orgaz
et al.
2013
). It is recorded from the Canary Islands in Macaronesia;
Albania
,
Croatia
,
Cyprus
,
France
,
Greece
,
Italy
,
Montenegro
,
Portugal
and
Spain
in southern Europe;
Morocco
in northern Africa; and
Israel
,
Lebanon
and
Turkey
in south-western Asia (
Orgaz
et al.
2010
,
2013
;
Ros
et al.
2013
;
Hodgetts 2015
). In
France
it was recorded from Hautes-Alpes Department (
Orgaz
et al.
2013
) and is most probably more widespread in Mediterranean
France
.
This species is characterized by a set of characters of difficult interpretation without experience; the leaves are shorter and more ovate than that of
B. velutinum
, margins are more commonly distinctly recurved, alar group is much more apparent with marginal cells ascending up margin, the laminal cells are dorsally prorate and the seta is rough (
Orgaz
et al.
2013
). The abaxial proration of leaf-cells is subject to variation and is not always easy to observe in the Corsican specimens. Corsican
Brachytheciastrum
specimens housed in herbaria should be re-examined taking into account the revision of
Orgaz
et al.
(2013)
.