See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232683690 The New Genus Benitotania (Daltoniaceae, Bryopsida) from Mt. Kinabalu Article in The Bryologist · January 2009 CITATIONS READS 5 226 4 authors, including: Hiroyuki Akiyama Tomio Yamaguchi Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo Hiroshima University 73 PUBLICATIONS 551 CITATIONS 41 PUBLICATIONS 334 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Monica Suleiman Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) 92 PUBLICATIONS 660 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Bryophytes of Vietnam View project The Sow-a-Seed (INIKEA) Rain Forest Restoration Project View project All content following this page was uploaded by Monica Suleiman on 10 February 2014. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. The Bryologist 106(3), pp. 454 459 Copyright q 2003 by the American Bryological and Lichenological Society, Inc. The New Genus Benitotania (Daltoniaceae, Bryopsida) from Mt. Kinabalu HIROYUKI AKIYAMA Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Sanda, Hyogo 669-1546, Japan HIROMI TSUBOTA AND TOMIO YAMAGUCHI Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-hiroshima-shi, Hi- roshima-ken 739-8526, Japan MONICA SULEIMAN Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88999, Sabah, Malaysia Abstract. A new monospeci®c genus, Benitotania, is described on the basis of B. elimbata H. Akiyama, T. Yamag, & M. Suleiman, collected in the northern part of Sabah, Malaysia. It appears to be most closely related to Adelothecium and Bryobrothera. Mt. Kinabalu National Park is one of the four close relationship to Adelothecium bogotense places where diverse moss ¯oras exist in Malesia (Hampe) Mitten, mainly distributed in Central (Tan & Iwatsuki 1999). Although quite a large America, or to Bryobrothera crenulata (Broth. & number of bryophyte collections have been made Paris) TheÂr. from Seram to the South Paci®c. Ade- there and numerous contributions have been pub- lothecium differs from the Kinabalu plants, how- lished (Frahm et al. 1990; Iwatsuki & Noguchi ever, in having much larger plants and leaf sizes; 1975; Menzel 1988a,b; Noguchi & Iwatsuki 1972; broadly ovate to obovate, rounded or rounded-ob- Touw 1978) new taxa or new records are still being tuse leaf shape; distinctly sinuate laminal cells; reported (Akiyama et al. 1998, 2001; Akiyama & non-deciduous leaves; differentiated gemmiferous Yamaguchi 1999). Such publications suggest that short branches; and longer axillary hairs (Ochyra et the bryophyte ¯ora of Mt. Kinabalu is still not fully al. 1992). On the other hand, Bryobrothera differs known. from the Kinabalu plants in its much smaller size, In December 2001 and September 2002, the au- elliptic to obovate or spatulate-obovate leaves, and thors carried out ®eld research in Kinabalu National strong costa almost reaching the leaf apex (Buck Park and the Crocker Range Park. Among our col- 1987, 1988; Norris & Robinson 1979). Therefore, lections we found curious plants that appears as a we came to recognize our material as representing small species of Fissidens or Schistochila and a new genus of mosses in the Daltoniaceae. therefore might be easily overlooked in the ®eld (Figs. 1±2). The plants have the following features BENITOTANIA H. Akiyama, T. Yamag., & M. Sulei- 1) pale green coloration with complanate leaves man, gen. nov. that are arranged in 8-ranks along the stem, 2) nar- Af®nis Adelothecio, sed caulibus 1.0±1.5 cm longis, rowly ovate and mucronate leaves not curled or foliis ca 2 mm longis, anguste-ovatis, non limbatis, cel- lulis laminaribus sexagulis-quadratis diversa. shrunken in either dry or wet condition and easily detached from the stem, 3) single costa reaching Plants pale green in color, complanately foliate, two-thirds of leaf length, 4) leaf margins almost leaves arranged in 8-ranks. Rhizoids brown, papil- entire, plane, and unbordered, 4) laminal cells of lose. Stems almost simple, rarely branched, reddish stem leaves uniform in size except at apex, evenly brown, slightly ascending. Leaves isomorphic, nar- thick-walled, hexagonal-quadrate, minutely but dis- rowly ovate, shortly acuminate. Laminal cells hex- tinctly verrucose throughout, 5) absence of differ- agonal-quadrate, thick-walled, alar region not dif- entiated alar regions, and 6) presence of linear ferentiated; costa single, reaching 3/4 of leaf length. pseudoparaphyllia. The marginal laminal cells are Pseudoparaphyllia present, linear. Dioicous. Peri- slightly narrower than the inner ones in the peri- chaetia lateral on stem. Male plants and sporo- chaetial leaves and thus a weak border is differen- phytes unknown. tiated. TYPE SPECIES: Benitotania elimbata H.Akiyama, The complanate foliation, absence of a border at T.Yamag., & M. Suleiman the leaf margin, single costa, and hexagonal-quad- Etymology. Benitotania is named after Benito rate laminal cells of the Kinabalu plants suggest a C. Tan, National University of Singapore, who has 0007-2745/03/$0.75/0 2003] AKIYAMA ET AL. BENITOTANIA FROM MT. KINABALU 455 FIGURE 1±6. Benitotania elimbata 1±4, Adelothecium bogotense 5, and Bryobrothera crenulata 6. Ð 1. Photograph of type locality at Kinabalu National Park. Ð 2. B. elimbata intermingled with other bryophytes; some stems have lost their leaves in upper portions. Ð 3. Pure mat collected from a tree branch (holotype). Ð 4. Apiculate tips of stem leaves (holotype). Ð 5. Upper part of stems [COLOMBIA, Municipio de la UnioÂn, ca 058569 N, 758179 W, 2,340± 2,430 m, Churchill et al. 15385 (NY)]. Ð 6. Ascending and prostrate shoots. Naked stems can be seen due to detached leaves. [INDONESIA, West Seram, Akiyama C-15791 (HYO)]. long contributed to the clari®cation of the bryo¯ora some members of the Rhizogoniaceae. Isomorphic of Asia and also ®rst suggested the close relation- stem leaves arranged in 8-ranks and lateral position ship of this new genus to Adelothecium. of perichaetia; however, indicate only a remote re- Complanate foliation; evenly thick-walled, hex- lationship to that family. On the other hand, 8- agonal-quadrate laminal cells; and absence of bor- ranked foliation and a single, weak costa indicate a der of Benitotania might suggest resemblance to close relationship to the Daltoniaceae, especially to 456 THE BRYOLOGIST [VOL. 106 Adelothecium bogotense and Bryobrothera crenu- It is notable that both Benitotania and Bryob- lata that are characterized by such features. Beni- rothera have deciduous leaves. Such a phenomenon totania seems most closely related to Adelothecium might be related to the absence of specialized and Bryobrothera in their complanate foliation, epi- branches bearing gemmae in both genera. phytic habit, single costa, absence of borders in stem leaves, absence of well-differentiated alar re- BENITOTANIA ELIMBATA H. Akiyama, T. Yamag., & gions, small thick-walled hexagonal to quadrate M. Suleiman, sp. nov. FIGS. 1±4, 7±18 laminal cells, and linear pseudoparaphyllia [Note that the observation given by Norris and Robinson Af®ne Adelothecio bogotense, sed plantis albens viridibus, (1979) that Bryobrothera crenulata lacks pseudo- caulibus 1.0±1.5 cm longis, foliis ca 2 mm longis, anguste- paraphyllia is incorrect]. ovatis, non limbatis, costis longistudine 3/4 lamina partes ae- quantia, cellulis laminaribus sexagulis-quadratis, aequaliter Buck (1987) pointed out that Adelothecium is incrassatis, plane verrucatis diversa. rather remotely related to the other members of the Hookeriales through similarites in strong single TYPE: MALAYSIA. SABAH. Kinabalu National Park, Si- costa, isodiametric leaf cells, unbordered leaves, lau-Silau Trail, 1,500 m elev., Akiyama Kinabalu-2001 [HYO, holotype; BM,(BORH), Kinabalu Park Herbarium, L, NY, iso- and ®lamentous pseudoparaphyllia. Later he estab- types]. lished a new monotypic family, the Adelotheci- Paratypes.ÐMALAYSIA. SABAH. Kinabalu National aceae (Buck 1988), and also stated that it might be Park, Bukit Tupai Trail, Akiyama Kinabalu-1204 (HYO, closely related to Bryobrothera. If we accept his BORH); Silau-Silau Trail, Akiyama Kinabalu-1057 (HYO, BORH), 2002 (HYO, NY), Yamaguchi 20475 (HIRO, HYO, BORH); view, then Benitotania would be included in the Crocker Range, Alab Pass, Akiyama Crocker-435 (HYO, Adelotheciaceae along with Adelothecium and BORH). Bryobrothera. Here we adopt a more conservative position, however, and place the genus in the Dal- Plants in whitish green mats, complanately foliate, toniaceae. For a ®nal deposition, we will wait for sparsely sympodially branching. Rhizoids mostly at the discovery of sporophytes or a molecular anal- base of stems, reddish-brown, papillose, both shorter, ysis along with related genera. densely branched rhizoids and longer, rarely branched ones present. Stems reddish brown except KEY TO BENITOTANIA AND RELATED GENERA for younger portions, ca 0.1 mm in diameter, round 1. Plants large, usually more than 3 cm long. Prop- in transverse section; cells thick-walled, without cen- agules on specialized shoots. Stem leaves not de- tral strand. Leaf shape and size not differentiated by ciduous. Leaves more than 3 mm long (dorsal position on stem. Stem leaves in eight-rows, narrow- leaves sometimes smaller, ca 2 mm or less). Lam- ly ovate, mucronate, shortly acuminate, plane both inal cells more or less sinuate; juxtacostal cells in dry and wet conditions (sometimes slightly un- differentiated. Axillary