Natl. Acad. Sci. Lett. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-020-00961-9 SHORT COMMUNICATION Plagiomnium insigne (Mitt.) T. J. Kop. (Mniaceae): New to Asian Bryoflora Ichha Omar1 • Geeta Asthana2 • Ashish Kumar Asthana1 Received: 11 June 2018 / Revised: 18 February 2020 / Accepted: 20 February 2020 Ó The National Academy of Sciences, India 2020 Abstract Plagiomnium insigne (Mitt.) T. J. Kop. known as Badge moss has been reported for the first time from Asia (Gulmarg, India). It was earlier known from North America (California, Canada and USA). The species is characterized by its dioicous sexuality, elliptical leaves with small ± pitted isodiametric cells and more number of twocelled teeth on leaf margin. Keywords Plagiomnium insigne
Badge moss
Asia Family Mniaceae Schwägr comprised of nine genera and 75 taxa worldwide [1]. In the earlier treatments by Koponen [2], genus Mnium s. lat. was splitted into many new genera on the basis of critical morpho-anatomical features, among them Plagiomnium T. J. Kop. has a long ambiguous history, since its establishment by Koponen. The genus is characterized by plagiotropic stolons, stem epidermis of Bryum type, uniseriate tooth, one band of dorsal stereids and the characteristic margin in cross section of costa and leaf, respectively. As the genera Plagiomnium and Orthomnion Wils. have very close resemblance in their characters, Koponen and Sun [3] synonymized the genus Plagiomnium into Orthomnion on the basis of phylogenetic studies since Plagiomnium is paraphyletic and only monophyletic genera are accepted, besides earlier & Ashish Kumar Asthana drakasthana@rediffmail.com 1 Bryology Laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow 226001, India 2 Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India described priority of Orthomnion over Plagiomnium. As Plagiomnium has gained worldwide acceptance in many floras, checklists and books, recently Ochyra et al. [4] proposed to conserve the genus Plagiomnium. Plagiomnium is the largest genus of family Mniaceae with about 29 taxa worldwide and divided into five sections namely Plagiomnium, Rostrata, Rosulata, Undulata and Venusta. In India, only scattered information is available about this genus regarding distribution. Gangulee [5] has reported 17 species of Mniaceae from Eastern India and adjacent regions, Chopra [6] reported 20 species, Lal [7] and Dandotiya et al. [8] listed 26–27 species from India, Kaur et al. [9] reported 5 species from Jammu and Kashmir, Alam [10] listed 20 species from western Himalayas, Nair et al. [11], Subramanian [12], Daniel [13], Daniels and Daniel [14] reported 2–6 species from South India. Many names of taxa in above contributions have been restricted to Mnium s. lat. or transferred to another genus or unresolved. While studying plant specimens from Gulmarg (Jammu and Kashmir), some plants corresponding to Plagiomnium insigne have been identified and confirmed by critical comparison with earlier reported species. The taxon was earlier known from North America (California, Canada and USA) only as reported by Koponen [15, 16]. Hence, the species is reported for the first time from India (Gulmarg), which is a new record for the country with extended range of its distribution in Asia. The present study is based on the plant specimens collected from Gulmarg region (Jammu and Kashmir) of western Himalayas deposited in Bryophyte Herbarium, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow (LWG). Plagiomnium insigne (Mitt.) T. J. Kop., Ann. Bot. Fennici 5: 146. 1968. Mnium insigne Mitten, Kew J. Bot. 8: 123 I. Omar et al. 230. 1856. Lectotype: West coast of North America, 1793 A. Menzies no. 37 (NY; isolectotype: K). (Figs. 1 and 2). Plants dioicous, sterile plants erect 4–4.5 cm long with very few rhizoids. Leaves crisped and contorted when dry, open when wet, green, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 5.5–7.5 mm long and 2.5–4(5) mm broad; apex acute; Fig. 1 Plagiomnium insigne (Mitt.) T. J. Kop. 1. Female plant, 2. Sterile plant, 3–6. Leaves from sterile stolon, 7, 8. Perichaetial leaves, 9. Cross section of leaf showing one dorsal band of stereid, 10. Cross section of leaf margin, 11. Apical cells of leaf, 12. Middle cells of leaf, 13. Marginal cells of leaf from sterile stolon, 14. Marginal cells of leaf from perichaetia, 15. Basal cells of leaf, 16. Archegonium with paraphyses 123 margin toothed throughout the length of the leaf, teeth sharp, 1 (86.25–97.5 lm) to 2 (101.25–123.75 lm) celled long; leaf border 33.75–45 lm broad, consists of 3–4 layers of elongated rectangular thick-walled cells (176.25–225 lm 9 7.5 lm); laminal cells at apex slightly elongated (length 9 width) 30–37.5 lm 9 18.75–30 lm, Plagiomnium insigne (Mitt.) T. J. Kop. (Mniaceae): New to Asian Bryoflora Fig. 2 Distribution map of Plagiomnium insigne middle cells hexagonal-isodiametric to ± elongated, 41.25–56.25(- 71.25 lm) 9 41.25–48.75 lm, thick walled with clear corner thickenings, walls sometimes pitted, weakly or not in rows, basal cells slightly elongated 52.5–71.25 lm 9 30–41.25 lm; costa percurrent to excurrent, in cross section cells thickened to some extent and shows one dorsal band of stereids; leaf base long decurrent. Male plants not found. Female plants characteristically reflexed, 3–4 cm long; perichaetial leaves 7–8.5 mm long and 2.5–3.7 mm broad, oblong to narrowly elliptical with sharper 1–2-celled teeth, two-celled teeth common, apex of the teeth rather bent; costa excurrent. Sporophyte not found. Habitat: Plants were found growing with Mnium lycopodiodes Schwägr. on soil at an altitude of 2121 m. Distribution: India (Gulmarg, J&K); North America (Canada, California, USA) Specimens examined: India: western Himalaya, Kashmir, Gulmarg, ca 2121 m, on soil, 12.09.1982, Chandra and Nath, 203866B, 203867B (LWG). Plagiomnium insigne belongs to section Rosulata and can be recognized from all the other species of this section by its dioicous sexuality of plants, elliptical leaves, isodiametric to ± elongated laminal cells and uniseriate 1–2celled sharp teeth. P. insigne is closely allied to P. medium (Bruch and Schimp.) T. J. Kop.; however, there are few diagnostic characters which clearly separates former species from the latter as two-celled teeth are very frequent in the leaves of fertile plants of P. insigne, but in P. medium in sterile as well as in fertile plants one-celled teeth usually occur while two-celled teeth present occasionally. Fertile plants of P. insigne can be easily identified due to the presence of more reflexed leaves and the dioicous sexuality in contrast to unreflexed leaves and synoicous condition in P. medium. In addition to these characters, few characters also separate this species, viz., (1) sexuality—dioicous, (2) micronemata—less in number, (3) micronematous initials—not clearly visible, (4) leaf width-to-length ratio— 1:1.5–1:2.5, (5) shape of lamina cells—more hexagonal to isodiametric and (7) size of lamina cells—length 9 width—41.25–56.25 lm 9 41.25–48.75 lm. Sterile plants of P. insigne can be mistaken with the members of the section Undulata of Plagiomnium due to the presence of toothed margin up to base and 1–2-celled small teeth; however, the more undulate and oblong leaves, less sharp teeth and small middle laminal cells are diagnostic features of section Undulata which make them distinct from each other. 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