Catagoniopsis berteroana Brotherus 1909

Catagoniopsis berteroana

Catagoniopsis berteroana (Mont.) Broth., Nat. Pfl. 1 (3): 1162, 1909.

Hypnum berteroanum Mont., Ann. Sc. Nat. Bot. ser. 3, 4:89, 1843. [Original material: Near Quillota, Chile, coll. Bertero n. 1052.]

Stems to 5 cm long; surface cells ca. 12 μm wide, 100 μm long. Leaves rather complanate, ca. 1.5 mm long, 0.7 mm wide, ovate with lanceolate tip, ending in very small, slender acumination, rather concave and slightly plicate in lower 1/2; margins absolutely entire, slightly recurved below; median cells of lamina ca. 4 μm wide, 50–75 μm long; apical cells shorter, to 5 μm wide, mostly 25–30 μm long; lower leaf cells 5–7 μm wide, 15–20 μm long; inner basal cells rounded to oval with slightly thicker corners, 12–15 μm in diameter, in 3–4 tiers across base; alar cells few, 5–10 μm wide, 10–20 μm long. Perichaetial leaves to 2.5 mm long, with longer, more slender, slightly spreading tips, entire. Setae to 2 cm long, reddish. Capsule urn 1.0–1.5 mm long; spores ca. 10 μm in diameter, nearly smooth.

The species is known only from Chile but has been reported from Mas a Tierra on the basis of a Moseley collection. I have not been able to confirm the record. One specimen seen from Juan Fernandez under the name, Bertero n. 1594 ex Herb. Duby, ex Herb. Boissier (S), proves to be Hypnum lechleri.