Cololejeunea reniformis, a new species from the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia (Lejeuneaceae: Marchantiophyta).

Abstract

Cololejeunea reniformis is described as new based on a single collection from Tully Falls National Park in north-east Queensland. Cololejeunea reniformis is similar to C. cairnsiana in the size and the falcate leaf lobes and ampulliform lobules, features which are distinctive among Australian species, and was initially thought to be that species. While C. cairnsiana is an epiphyll, the single known gathering of C. reniformis was found on bark, and the two species differ in a number of micromorphological characters, including details of the vitta, which contain 6-9 cells in a single row in C. cairnsiana and 12-20 cells in 2 or 3 rows in C. reniformis. Cololejeunea reniformis shares many micromorphological features with the south-east Asian C. ensifera, but differs in its smaller size and falcate leaf lobes, in addition to other characters. Thirty-nine Cololejeunea species are now known for Australia.