Journal of Bryology (2010) 32: 216219

Indopottia zanderi (Bryophyta, Pottiaceae) gen. et sp. nov. from the Western Ghats of India
A. E. D. DANIELS1, R. D. A. RAJA1 and P. DANIEL2
1

Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India and 2Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India

SUMMARY Indopottia zanderi, a new genus and species of the Pottiaceae, is described from the Silent Valley National Park in the Western Ghats in Peninsular India. The distinctive features of Indopottia are the leaf cells being weakly convex on both surfaces, costal stereid-band semicircular in cross-section, guide cells rounded-ovate or semicircular, seta short and operculum very long. The affinities of the allied genera, Ganguleea, Tortula and Weisiopsis, are discussed. The new genus Indopottia may be placed in the tribe Hyophileae. KEYWORDS: Pottiaceae, Indopottia, Silent Valley, Western Ghats

INTRODUCTION The Pottiaceae is the largest family in the Bryophyta in number of genera, 76, and over 1400 species worldwide (Zander, 1993). There are 31 genera and 130 species in the family in India (Aziz & Vohra, 2008). The Silent Valley National Park in the Western Ghats (Kerala, Peninsular India) is a floristically rich area. It has been fairly well-explored for angiosperms and a number of new species have been described. Nair et al. (1982) described a new grass genus from this region, while Srivastava & Asthana (1986) described a new hornwort, Folioceros udarii S.C. Srivast. & A.K. Asthana. During their preliminary survey, Vohra et al. (1982) collected fertile material of the moss Handeliobryum setschwanicum Broth. for the first time from the Silent Valley, although this species is well-distributed in the Sichuan Province of China and Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling and Sikkim in India. However, the Silent Valley National Park still remains almost unexplored for cryptogams especially bryophytes (Srivastava & Sharma, 2000). Material of a species of the Pottiaceae collected while exploring the Silent Valley National Park in a study of the bryoflora could not be identified to any known genus of the family and is described here as new.

DESCRIPTION Indopottia A.E.D. Daniels, R.D.A. Raja & P. Daniel gen. nov. (Fig. 1)
# British Bryological Society 2010 DOI: 10.1179/037366810X12578498136390

Plantae acrocarpae. Caules simplices, raro ramosi, decumbentes, squamo-foliis obtecti; cortex 24-stratus, a medulla differentiatus. Folii cellulae in superficiebus ambabus leniter convexae; taenia stereidarum costali in sectione transversali semicirculari et cellulae ducum rotundato-ovatae vel semicirculares non lenticulares. Sporophyta terminalia, bina vel raro unicum; setae brevissimae; capsulae vulgo declinatae; peristomium carens; operculum longissimum, rostratum. Type species: Indopottia zanderi A.E.D. Daniels, R.D.A. Raja & P. Daniel Plants acrocarpous. Stems simple, rarely branched, decumbent, covered with scale leaves and rhizoids in lower L; cortex 24-layered, differentiated from medulla. Leaf lamina cells weakly convex on both surfaces; costal stereidband semicircular in cross-section and guide cells roundedovate or semicircular. Sporophytes terminal, in pairs, rarely single; setae very short; capsules mostly declinate; peristome absent; operculum very long, rostrate. Indopottia zanderi A.E.D. Daniels, R.D.A. Raja & P. Daniel sp. nov. Plantae tegetes formantes, non nitidae, aureobrunneae ad brunneae. Caules decumbentes, simplices, raro ramosi, atrobrunnei, in sectione transversali ovati, 0.40.5 mm diametro, sclerodermide et hyalodermide nullo, 515 mm longi, in parte L inferiore squamo-foliis et rhizoideis obtecti; cortex 24-stratus, a medulla differentiatus; cellulae irregulariter hexagonales, 420626 mm, parietibus crassis; cellulae medullosae irregulariter hexagonales, 4326424 mm, filo centrali praesenti, parietibus tenuibus. Folia densa, in
Received 10 December 2009. Revision accepted 26 March 2010

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Figure 1. Indopottia zanderi. 1, habit; 2, leaves; 3, leaf apex; 4, leaf apical cells; 5, leaf median cells; 6, leaf basal cells; 7, cross-section of stem; 8, cross-section of leaf; 9, capsule and operculum; 10, spores. Scale bars: A51 mm, 1; B50.5 mm, 2, 3, 9; C525 mm, 48; D515 mm, 10. Drawn from A. E. D. Daniels & R. D. A. Raja 19

sicco paulo transformata, obovata vel lingulata, 1260.3 0.5 mm, apice proprie plicata, marginibus planis et sine limbo, complanata, integra, saepe undulata, ad apicem irregulariter dentata; costa paulo infra apicem terminata, in sectione transversali semicirculari, epidermides dorsalis ventralisque praesentes, filo hydroideo et vitta stereidarum ventrali absentes, vitta stereidarum dorsali in sectione transversali semicirculari et cellulis ducum rotundato-ovatis vel semicircularibus non lenticularibus. Laminae cellulae in superficiebus ambabus leniter convexae, epapillatae, supra irregulariter rotundo-quadratae et infra irregulariter elongatorectangulares, 48926832 mm; lamina KOH luteo-crocea. Status sexualis autoicus. Perigonia terminalia, gemmiformia.

Perichaetia terminalia, foliis vegetativis similia, 2.5 3.060.50.8 mm. Sporophyta terminalia, bina vel raro unicum; setae brevissimae, 0.30.7 mm longae; capsulae vulgo declinatae, atrobrunneae; theca 0.81.260.30.5 mm, ovoidea; operculum longe rostratum, 0.91.1 mm longum; peristomium absens. Sporae globosae, 3036 mm, papillosae, peraurantio-brunneae. Calyptra non visa. Type: India, W. Ghats, Kerala, Silent Valley National Park, Punnamala, corticolous, ca 1070 m, 27.4.2008, A.E.D. Daniels & R.D.A. Raja 19 [CAL, holotype; isotypes in BM, MO, SING, Herb. of Scott Christian College, Nagercoil (SCCN)]. Paratype: Same locality, lignicolous, ca 980 m, A.E.D. Daniels & R.D.A. Raja 7 p.p. (SCCN).

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Plants forming mats, not glossy, golden brown to brown. Stems decumbent, simple, rarely branched, 515 mm long, with scale leaves and rhizoids in lower L, dark brown; in cross-section ovate, 0.40.5 mm in diameter, sclerodermis and hyalodermis absent; cortex 24-layered, differentiated from medulla; cells irregularly hexagonal, 420626 mm, thick-walled; medullary cells irregularly hexagonal, 4 326424 mm; central strand present, of thin-walled cells. Leaves dense, without much change when dry, obovate or lingulate, 1260.30.5 mm, characteristically folded at apex; margins plane without border, flat, entire, often undulate, irregularly toothed at apex; costa ending a little below apex, semicircular in cross-section, dorsal and ventral epidermis present, hydroid strand and ventral stereid-band absent; dorsal stereid-band semicircular in cross-section and guide cells rounded-ovate or semicircular. Laminal cells weakly convex on both surfaces, epapillate, irregularly rounded-quadrate above, 8166612 mm, irregularly elongate-rectangular below, 48926832 mm; laminal KOH colour reaction yellow-orange. Sexual condition autoicous. Perigonia terminal, bud-like. Perichaetia terminal, similar to vegetative leaves, 2.53.060.50.8 mm. Sporophytes terminal, in pairs, rarely single. Setae short, 0.30.7 mm long. Capsules mostly declinate, dark brown; theca 0.81.260.3 0.5 mm, ovoid. Operculum long-rostrate, 0.91.1 mm long. Peristome absent. Spores globose, 3036 mm, papillose, dark orange-brown. Calyptra not seen. Habitat: Lignicolous, in association with Syrrhopodon spiculosus Hook. & Grev. and corticolous, in moist evergreen forests, 9801070 m. Etymology: The new generic name Indopottia is a combination of India and Pottia based on its origin and taxonomic affinity with the family Pottiaceae respectively. The species is named in honour of the renowned muscologist Dr Richard H. Zander (MO) who has contributed significantly to knowledge of the Pottiaceae.

KEY TO INDOPOTTIA 1.

AND TO

ALLIED GENERA

Plants acrocarpous; central strand present . . . . . . . 2 Plants pleurocarpous; central strand absent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ganguleea

2.

DISCUSSION Indopottia belongs to the Pottiaceae and is closely allied to Weisiopsis Broth., both of which are autoicous, with budlike perigonia, without papillae on leaves, leaf basal cells abruptly enlarged and without a hydroid strand and ventral stereid-band in the costa. However, it differs from Weisiopsis in the presence of a short seta, very long operculum, leaf cells not bulging ventrally and flat dorsally, instead weakly convex on both surfaces, costal stereid-band not rounded but semicircular and guide cells not lenticular in cross-section. It is allied to Ganguleea R.H. Zander in the presence of a long and narrow operculum, but differs in that Indopottia is not pleurocarpous and does not have unequally bulging laminal cells. Although Indopottia is yellow-orange in KOH solution like Tortula, it differs from the latter in the absence of laminal papillae and presence of elongate ventral costal cells. The three allied genera may be keyed out as shown below.

Setae long, 46 mm; operculum short, 0.30.7 mm; leaf cells not bulging ventrally, smooth dorsally; costal stereid-band rounded; guide cells lenticular in crosssection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weisiopsis Setae short, 0.30.7 mm; operculum long, 0.91.1 mm; leaf cells weakly convex on both surfaces; costal stereid-band semicircular; guide cells not lenticular in cross-section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indopottia Indopottia may be placed in the subfamily Pottioideae because of features such as the absence of a hyalodermis in stem, hydroid strand and ventral stereid-band in costa. Since it is allied to Ganguleea and Weisiopsis, it is placed in the tribe Hyophileae. The new species is presently known only from the type locality. It occurs at medium elevations on bark of living trees and fallen logs in wet evergreen forests, which suggests that this species prefers a humid habitat. The presence of mature capsules in April might indicate that it completes its sexual phase during the Northeast monsoon season (OctoberNovember) since after this monsoon the forests here usually remain rather moist due to heavy dew that lasts almost until the middle of March. The Western Ghats in Peninsular India is a part of the 250 million-year-old Gondwanaland. The southern Western Ghats is an area known for its high degree of endemism for angiosperms and to a certain extent bryophytes. About 60 genera, of which 49 are monospecific, and 2015 species of angiosperms are endemic to Peninsular India (Gopalan & Henry, 2000). Of these, 2000 species occur in the southern Western Ghats including 150 local endemics (Henry et al., 1984). According to Nayar (1982), most of these species are palaeo-endemics. Among bryophytes, 190 species of mosses (Vohra & Aziz, 1997) and 10 species of liverworts (Singh, 1997) are endemic to the Western Ghats. Hence, Indopottia is probably endemic to the Western Ghats. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank L.T. Ellis (BM), B.J. OShea, London, B.C. Tan (SING) and J. Enroth, Helsinki, Finland, for their opinion on our determination of the material as a new genus, R.H. Zander (MO), for confirming the novelty, discussions and suggestions for improving the MS, V.J. Nair, Coordinator (AICOPTAX), Botanical Survey of India, Coimbatore, India, for the Latin diagnosis/ description, and R. Mill (E), for improving the Latin description. AEDD and RDAR are grateful to the Kerala State Forest Department for permission to explore the Silent Valley National Park and for help in the field, and S .C . R os e, Pr in ci pa l, Sc ot t C hr isti an Co lle ge (Autonomous), for encouragement.

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TAXONOMIC ADDITIONS AND CHANGES: Indopottia zanderi A.E.D. Daniels, R.D.A. Raja & P. Daniel gen. et sp. nov. REFERENCES
Aziz MN, Vohra JN. 2008. Pottiaceae (Musci) of India. Dehra Dun: Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh. Gopalan R, Henry AN. 2000. Endemic plants of India: CAMP for the strict endemics of Agasthiyamalai hills, SW. Ghats. Dehra Dun: Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh. Henry AN, Chandrabose M, Swaminathan MS, Nair NC. 1984. Agastyamalai and its environs: a potential area for a biosphere reserve. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 81: 282 290. Nair VJ, Sreekumar PV, Vajravelu E, Bhargavan P. 1982. Silentvalleya: a new genus of Poaceae from Kerala, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 79: 654657. Nayar MP. 1982. Endemic flora of Peninsular India and its significance. Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India 22: 1223.

Singh DK. 1997. Liverworts. In: Mudgal V, Hajra PK, eds. Floristic studies and consevation strategies in India. 1. Kolkata: Botanical Survey of India, 235300. Srivastava SC, Asthana AK. 1986. A new Folioceros from Silent Valley. Cryptogamie, Bryologie, Lichenologie 7: 149153. Srivastava SC, Sharma D. 2000. A preliminary study on the liverwort & hornwort flora of Silent Valley (Kerala). In: Chauhan DK, ed. Recent trends in botanical researches. Allahabad: Department of Botany, Allahabad University, 5575. Vohra JN, Aziz MN. 1997. Mosses. In: Mudgal V, Hajra PK, eds. Floristic studies and conservation strategies in India. 1. Kolkata: Botanical Survey of India, 301374. Vohra JN, Roychowdhury KN, Ghosh RK, Kar BD, Singh KP. 1982. Observations on the cryptogamic flora of Silent Valley. In: Botanical studies on Silent Valley (Cryptogams & soil study). Special Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India. Howrah: Botanical Survey of India, 1930. Zander RH. 1993. Genera of the Pottiaceae: mosses of harsh environments. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 32: 1378.

A. E. D. DANIELS and R. D. A. RAJA, Bryology Laboratory, Department of Botany and Research Centre, Scott Christian College (Autonomous), Nagercoil 629 003, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: dulipdaniels@yahoo.co.uk P. DANIEL, 36, Arulnagar, Nagercoil 629 001, Tamil Nadu, India