A taxonomic revision of Bryum capillare Hedw. and related species

Syed, Hadiuzzaman (1973) A taxonomic revision of Bryum capillare Hedw. and related species. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

A taxonomic revision of the moss B. capillare Hedw. and the species commonly confused with it has been carried out. It has been found to be a complex of eleven species and one variety. These are: B. capillare Hedw. var. capillare, B. capillare Hedw. var. ruflfolium (Dix.) Podp., B. elegans Nees ex Brid., B. stirtonii Schimp., B. subelegans Kindb., B. flaccidum Brid., B. laevifilum Syed, B. pseudocapillare Besch., B. erythroloma (Kindb.) Syed, B. albo-limbatum (Hamp. et C.,Muell.) Jaeg., B. torquescens Bruch., and B. jamaicanse Syed. B. laevifilum and B. jamaicanse have been described as new species. All have been fully described and figured and their geographical distribution recorded. Efforts have been made to distinguish the species while they are sterile, for most of the species in the capillare group do not fruit frequently. Tubers and axillary filamentous gemmae have been found to be important characters for sorting out the various species in the vegetative condition. Rhizoid characters have been found to be' important for distinguishing B. elegans from other species in the group. Studies on the ornamentations of the spore walls of the different species under the Scanning Electron Microscope have revealed that there are differences between them which are taxonomically significant. Studies of the geographical distribution of the species showed that B. erythroloma, B. pseudocapillare and B. jamaicanse are restricted to North America, B. albo-limbatum is an Australian species, B. elegans and B. subelegans are reported only from Europe and the rest of the species are found in several continents. The arrangement of the antheridia in the various species has proved interesting. In some of them the antheridia are borne terminally, which is the normal situation. In others there are both terminal antheridia and antheridia in the axils of the perigonial bracts. Axillary antheridia have previously been reported only in Sphagnum and in paroecious mosses, and their discovery in Bryum raises the question of whether their primitive position in mosses is lateral or terminal. The examination of the type specimens of species that have been reported as synonyms with B. capillare showed that several were not in fact closely related to it. Some of them proved to belong to other sections of the genus, but two, Bryum moravicum Podp. from Czechoslovakia and B. gemmascens Ren. et Card. from North America, belong to the same section (Trichophora) as B. capillare though not closely related to it. They appearto be good but neglected species and have both been fully described and figured.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: A C Crundwell
• Keywords: Botany
• Date of Award: 1973
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1973-72322
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 24 May 2019 15:12
• Last Modified: 24 May 2019 15:12
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/72322