Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2023 | 15(1): 22543–22547

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7735.15.1.22543-22547

#7735 | Received 02 November 2021 | Final received 16 December 2022 | Finally accepted 27 December 2022

Rhynchostegiella menadensis (Sande Lac.) E.B. Bartram and R. scabriseta (Schwagr.) Broth.: two new records of mosses (Brachytheciaceae: Bryophyta) for peninsular India

V.K. Rajilesh ¹, C.N. Manju ² & R. Prakashkumar ³

¹ SciGenom Research Foundation, Nedumpura, Cheruthuruthi, Thrissur District, Kerala 679531, India.

² Bryology Division, Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Malappuram District, Kerala 673635, India.

³ KSCSTE-Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala 695562, India.

¹ vk.rajilesh6@gmail.com (corresponding author), ² manjucali@gmail.com, ³ rprak62@gmail.com

Editor: Afroz Alam, Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India. Date of publication: 26 January 2023 (online & print)

Citation: Rajilesh, V.K., C.N. Manju & R. Prakashkumar (2023). Rhynchostegiella menadensis (Sande Lac.) E.B. Bartram and R. scabriseta (Schwagr.) Broth.: two new records of mosses (Brachytheciaceae: Bryophyta) for peninsular India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 15(1): 22543–22547. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7735.15.1.22543-22547

Copyright: © Rajilesh et al. 2023. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

Funding: KSCSTE Ecology and Environmental scheme.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Acknowledgements: The authors are thankful to the authorities of Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Science, Kozhikode for providing research facilities. The authors are grateful to the Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), Thiruvananthapuram for financial assistance. We are also thankful to the Staff of the Kerala Forest Department for extending support during our field study.

Abstract: Rhynchostegiella menadensis (Sande Lac) E.B. Bartram and R. scabriseta (Schwagr.) Broth. are the two species in the moss genus Rhynchostegiella from the family Brachytheciaceae, previously known only from northern India, is now recorded for the first time from peninsular India. They are described in detail along with a photoplate.

Keywords: Distribution, Idukki District, Kerala, Mathikettan Shola National Park.

The genus Rhynchostegiella (Schimp.) Limpr., of the family Brachytheciaceae is represented by 57 species in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world (Gangulee 1980; Vohra 1983). Rhynchostegiella is distributed in China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, and Thailand. In India, the genus is represented by thirteen species (Gangulee 1980; Vohra 1983; Dandotiya et al. 2011). The Indian species are R. assamica, R. divaricatifolia, R. fabroniadelphus, R. humillima, R. leiopoda, R. menadensis, R. percomplanata, R. plumosa, R. ramicola, R. sachensis, R. scabriseta, R. schwetschkeoides, and R. tenella. R. tenella was recently reported from Kerala as a new record for India (Mufeed et al. 2021). R. menadensis (Sande Lac.) E.B. Bartram was earlier reported from Uttarakhand (Bargali et al. 2014) and R. scabriseta (Schwagr.) Broth. was reported from Assam (Robinson 1968), Himachal Pradesh (Alam 2013), Jammu & Kashmir (Alam 2013), Manipur (Govndapyari 2014), and Uttarakhand (Alam 2013; Bahuguna et al. 2016). Both species are new records for peninsular Indian moss flora, and now the genus Rhynchostegiella is represented by six species in peninsular India (Table 1).

Materials and Methods

The current study is the result of extensive field research conducted in Mathikettan Shola National Park between 2014 and 2018. The external features of the specimens were observed under the stereo dissection microscope (Labomed CZM4), the internal features were studied with the help of a compound microscope (Labomed Lx 500) and specimens were measured and photographed with the help of a Jenoptic ProgRes C5 USB connected camera.

Result

Among the six species reported from India, Rhynchostegiella menadensis (Sande Lac.) E.B. Bartram was reported earlier from Uttarakhand, and R. scabriseta (Schwägr.) Broth. was reported from Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, and Uttarakhand. Hence the present study reports these two species from peninsular India as new records.

Rhynchostegiella menadensis (Sande Lac.) E.B. Bartram, Philipp. J. Sci. 68: 302.1933.

Type locality: Mindanao Island, Philippines

Plant is yellowish-green, glossy, loose mat on log, bark; main stem creeping, 2–3 cm long, pinnately branched, branches short, feathery, loosely foliate; leaves erect-spreading, 0.8–0.9 × 0.37–0.4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, base wide, auriculate, acuminate tip, faintly denticulate at base; costa single, reached middle; basal cells rhomboid, 30–35 × 7–9 µm; elongated rhomboid, 62–80 × 3–5 µm at middle and tip; alar cells undifferentiated; branch leaves narrow, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–1.6 × 0.36–0.38 mm, decurrent base, acuminate at apex; sporophyte not known.

Habitat: Seen on logs and bark along with Meteoriopsis reclinata (Müll. Hal.) M. Fleisch. in the shola forest (Image 1).

Distribution: China, India (Uttarakhand (Bargali et al. 2014)), Indonesia, Philippines (Shevock & Yorong 2018) and Thailand. The present report based on recent collection is a new record for peninsular India.

Specimens examined: India, Kerala, Idukki District, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Sivanpara (1,550 m), 28.xi.2012, Rajilesh V.K. 8236b; Chundel (1,450 m), 08.iv.2013, Rajilesh V.K. 9406; Vattapara (1,620 m), 28.xi.2014, Rajilesh V.K. 11640 (MBGH).

Rhynchostegiella scabriseta (Schwagr.) Broth., Nat. Pflanzenfam. I (3): 1161. 1909.

Type locality: Nepal

Plant is yellowish-green, glossy tufted on bark, on soil cutting; main stem prostrate, short, pinnately branched; branches erect, 2–2.5 cm long, densely foliate; leaves whorled, erect-spreading, imbricate, 1.6–1.7 × 0.6–0.66 mm, ovate-lanceolate, base wide, decurrent, apex narrow acuminate, shortly denticulate margin; costa single, reached above the middle; leaf cells narrow, elongated- rhomboid 28–43 × 4.2–5.5 µm from base to apex; alar rectangular, 16–23 × 9–11 µm; sporophytes on main branch; seta erect, 1.8–2 mm long, brownish, rough; capsule erect, ovate-cylindrical, brownish, 2.2–2.5 mm long, 0.5mm in diameter; peristome normal (Image 2)

Habitat: Epiphytic on bark and on land cuttings along with other mosses Hookeriopsis secunda (Griff.) Broth. And Plagiomnium rostratum (Schrad.) T.J. Kop. In the shola forest.

Distribution: World: India (Jammu & Kashmir (Alam 2013), Manipur (Govndapyari 2014), Himachal Pradesh (Alam 2013), Uttarakhand (Alam 2013; Bahuguna et al. 2016)) and Nepal. The present collection is a new record for peninsular India.

Specimens examined: India, Kerala, Idukki District., Mathikettan Shola National Park, Chundel (1,200 m), 09.iv.2013, Rajilesh V.K. 9450; Kurisukavala (1,550 m), 28.xi.2014, Rajilesh V.K. 11624; Karipara (1,650 m), 12.iii.2014, Rajilesh V.K. 10915; Aduvilanthankudi (1,600 m), 13.iii.2014, Rajilesh V.K. 10960 (MBGH). 

Discussion

The current study reveals that two Rhynchostegiella species have been recorded as an extended distribution record for peninsular Indian moss flora, bringing the total number of Rhynchostegiella species to six.

Table 1. Distribution of the genus Rhynchostegiella in peninsular India.

Species	Distribution in India	References
Rhynchostegiella humillima (Mitt.) Broth.	Tamil Nadu	Mitten 1856; Foreau 1931; Vohra 1983; Daniels 2010
Rhynchostegiella leiopoda Dixon & Cardot	Tamil Nadu	Brühl 1931; Foreau 1931; Daniels 2010
Rhynchostegiella menadensis (Sande Lac.) E.B. Bartram	Uttarakhand	Bargali et al. 2014
Rhynchostegiella scabriseta (Schwägr.) Broth.	Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Uttarakhand	Robinson 1968; Alam 2013; Govndapyari 2014; Bahuguna et al. 2016
Rhynchostegiella fabroniadelphus (Müll. Hal.) Broth.	Palni hills	Dandotiya et al. 2011
Rhynchostegiella tenella (Dicks.) Limpr.	Kerala	Mufeed et al. 2021

For images - - click here for full PDF

References

Alam, A. (2013). Moss flora of Munsiyari (Uttarakhand), Western Himalayas, India. Archive for Bryology 161: 1–9.

Bahuguna, Y.M., S. Gairola, P.L. Uniyal, & A.B. Bhatt (2016). Moss Flora of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Garhwal Himalaya, India. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences 86(4): 931–943.

Bargali, R., V. Awasthi & N. Pande (2014). Ecological study of bryophytes on Platanus orientalis L. trees in Nainital (Western Himalaya). American Journal of Plant Sciences 5(26): 3880–3888. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2014.526406

Bruhl, P. (1931). A census of Indian mosses with analytical keys to the genera. Records of the Botanical Survey of India 13(1): 1–135; 13(2): 1–152.

Dandotiya, D., H. Govindapyari, S. Shantanu & P.L. Uniyal (2011). Checklist of the Bryophytes of India. Archive for Bryology 88: 1–126. 

Daniels, A.E.D. (2010). Checklist of the bryophytes of Tamil Nadu, India. Archive for Bryology 65: 1–118.

Foreau, G. (1931). Notes on bryological geography for the Presidency of Madras. Journal of Madras University 3: 118–126.

Gangulee, H.C. (1980). Mosses of Eastern India and adjacent regions. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta Vol. III, (Fasc. 7).

Govndapyari, H. (2014). Habitat preference in pleurocarpous mosses of Imphal district, Manipur, India. Evansia 31(3): 99–109.

Mitten, W. (1856). A list of some mosses and hepaticae, collected by the Rev. Charles Parish, at Moulmein, and communicated to Sir W.J. Hooker. Hooker’s Journal of Botany and Kew Garden Miscellany 8: 353–357.

Mufeed B., C.N. Manju & K.P. Rajesh (2021). Bryophytes of Anamudi shola National Park in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India. Centre for Research in Indigenous Knowledge Science & Culture & Malabar Natural History Society, 455 pp.

Robinson, H. (1968). Notes on Bryophytes from the Himalayas and Assam. Bryologist 71: 82–97.

Shevock, J.R. & A.P. Yorong (2018). New additions to the moss flora of Mindanao Island, Republic of the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology 12(1): 67–72.

Vohra, J.N. (1983). Hypnobryales suborder Leskeineae (Musci) of the Himalayas. Records of the Botanical Survey of India 23, iii + 336 pp.