HEDWIGIACEAE

Braunia

 

Efrain De Luna,

Biodiversidad y Sistemática,

INECOL. Xalapa. México.

web

 

Phylogenetic classification

Hedwigiaceae

Keys to genera

Braunia

Hedwigia

Hedwigidium

Pseudobraunia

Braunia.

List of species and synonyms.

Provisional key.

List of all names (alphabetical)

 
A provisional key to the species of Braunia worldwide.

There are 23 species included in this key.

A version of this evolving key was published. If you wish, you can cite: De Luna E. 2016. Typification, taxonomy, and worldwide distribution of Braunia secunda (Hook.) Bruch & Schimp. (Hedwigiaceae). JOURNAL OF BRYOLOGY 38: 286-294.

 

Most species of Braunia are identified unambiguously, particularly when sporophytes are available; but others are only differentiated in the key as species complexes, waiting further detailed studies.

For example, the Braunia plicata species complex includes B. plicata, B. canescens Schimp ex E.Britton, and B. incana Müll.Hal.  This group of species is mainly of South American distribution.

Also, in the same pending situation is the B. diaphana species complex that includes B. diaphana and B. arbuscula (Welw. & Duby) A.Gepp. These two species are exclusively distributed in Africa.

Similarly, the B. entodonticarpa species complex includes B. entodonticarpa and B. camptoclada P. de la Varde & Thér., these two species also of African distribution.

As for the South American B. exserta species complex, already there is a key for separating B. exserta Müll.Hal., B. reflexifolia (Müll.Hal.) E.B.Bartram, and B. tucumanensis Biasuso (Biasuso, 1992).

 

1a. Upper leaf cells narrow-elongate (3-5:1), cell walls very sinuous; leaf apex gradually differentiated, acuminate to subulate; leaf lamina mostly flat ............. 2


1b. Upper leaf cells quadrate, or rectangular (1-2:1), cell walls slightly sinuous; leaf apex sharply differentiated, mucronate, or cuspidate; leaf lamina concave ....... 8

 

 

Upper leaf cells narrow-elongate (a), quadrate or rectangular (b).

 

Leaf apex mucronate or cuspidate.

2a. Leaf margin erect, or reflexed at base; apex long 1/3-1/2 of leaf length, subulate; leaves narrowly lanceolate, spreading; capsules urceolate …… 3


2b. Leaf margin recurved; apex short less than 1/4 of leaf length, acuminate; leaves oblong-lanceolate, appressed, patent, or squarrose ......................... 4

Leaves oblong-lanceolate.

 

3a. Leaf subula long, approaching half of leaf length ….. B. nephelogenes De Luna & Buck (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia).


3b. Leaf subula short, less than half of leaf length ….. B. attenuata (Mitt.) Jaeger (India, China).

Leaves narrowly lanceolate, leaf apex subulate.

4a. Leaf acumen entire, or minutely crenulate; leaf apical cells homogenously narrow elongate ................................................................................................................. 5

 


4b. Leaf acumen scabrous, or erose-dentate; leaf apical cells mixed broad subquadrate with elongated cells ............................................................................................ 6

Leaf apical cells mixed broad subquadrate with elongated cells in B. subplicata

5a. Capsule cylindrical; seta 8-14 mm; perichaetial leaves very long, more than twice the size of vegetative leaves .................... B. cirrhifolia (Mitt.) Wils. ex Jaeger (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia).


5b. Capsule broad, turbinate to globose; seta 3-6 mm; perichaetial leaves slightly longer than vegetative leaves .................. B. squarrulosa (Hampe) Müll. Hal. (Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama).

B. cirrhifolia

6a. Capsule elliptic, urn wall irregularly wrinkled, microstomus; seta long (7-15 mm); paraphyses long, exserted. ................................ B. secunda (Hook.) Bruch & Schimper (US, Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, Bolivia).


6b. Capsule broad turbinate, urn wall longitudinally ribbed, macrostomous; seta short (3-7 mm); paraphyses not exserted ..........................     7

 

Capsule elliptic.

7a. Leaves slenderly lanceolate, leaf acumen short, less than 1/5 the leaf length ... B. rupestris (Mitt.) Jaeger (Cameroon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania).


7b. Leaves broadly lanceolate, leaf acumen long, more that 1/4 the leaf length … B. subplicata E. Britt. (Peru, Bolivia).

B. rupestris
   

8a. Leaf acumen hyaline; leaf margin at apex dentate; leaf apical cells elongated, strongly papillose ............................................................................................. 9


8b. Leaf acumen concolorous, sometimes hyaline but only at the leaf tips; leaf margin at apex entire; leaf apical cells quadrate to subquadrate .............................. 10

 

 

9a. Leaf margin recurved up to the acumen; leaf apical cells with tall papillae; perichaetial leaves narrowly lanceolate, acuminate ...... B. plicata species complex (Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay).

 


9b. Leaf margin reflexed or recurved only lower half; leaf apical cells with low papillae; perichaetial leaves broadly oblong, shortly acute ...... B. diaphana species complex (Angola, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Zaire).

Braunia plicata from Bolivia

10a. Leaves broadly obovate to orbiculate, deeply concave to cucullate; leaf acumen mucronate to shortly cuspidate; leaf apical cells quadrate, homogeneous ................. 11

 

 


10b. Leaves ovate to oblong, moderately concave to flat; leaf acumen cuspidate to acuminate; leaf apical cells subquadrate and elliptical, mixed ................................... 12

 

11a. Perichaetial leaves long, more than twice the length of vegetative leaves; leaves obovate, cuspidate ..................... B. entodonticarpa species complex (Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa).


11b. Perichaetial leaves short, less than twice the length of vegetative leaves; leaves orbiculate, mucronate ................ B. schimperi Bruch & Schimper (Ethiopia, Uganda).

Leaves obovate, and orbiculate.

12a. Leaf margin broadly recurved up to the acumen .......................................... 13


12b. Leaf margin reflexed, or recurved only at leaf base ..................................... 15

Leaves ovate to oblong.

13a. Seta very long (12-20 mm); capsules narrowly cylindric; leaf acumen long cuspidate .................................. B. macropelma (Müll. Hal.) Jaeger (India).


13b. Seta short (3-10 mm); capsules broadly ellipsoid; leaf acumen short cuspidate ….......................... 14

 

 

14a. Capsules totally exserted, smooth to slightly wrinkled; perichaetial leaves broadly oblong; leaves large, broadly obovate … B. subincana Broth. (Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brasil).


14b. Capsules emergent, ribbed; perichaetial leaves long, lanceolate, narrowly acuminate to subulate; leaves small, ovate ................. B. exserta species complex (Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile).

Capsules broadly ellipsoid.

15a. Seta short (3-5 mm); capsule broad ellipsoid to urceolate, emergent; leaves broadly ovate to oblong, erect, or squarrose spreading .......... B. exserta species complex (Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile).


15b. Seta long (6-10 mm); capsule cylindrical to ellipsoid, exserted; leaves ovate or ovate lanceolate, imbricate ………… 16

Braunia exserta from Argentina

16a. Perichaetial leaves short, only as long as vegetative leaves; leaf apex subtubulose, margin entire ........... B. alopecura (Brid.) Limpr. (Switzerland, France, Italy, Portugal, Iran, Kwait, Saudi Arabia, China).

 


16b. Perichaetial leaves long, twice the size of vegetative leaves; leaf apex blunt, margin erose-dentate ................... 17

Capsules cylindrical to ellipsoid.

17a. Capsules ellipsoid, wrinkled; exothecial cells polygonal ............. B. andrieuxii Lor. (US, Mexico, Colombia).


17b. Capsules cylindrical, smooth; exothecial cells rectangular. ............ B. argentinica Müll. Hal. (Bolivia, Argentina).

B. andrieuxii from México