RhizoautoicousAloina bifronsin the Mojave Desert, a Possible Adaptation to Increase Spore Production

Aloina bifrons (De Not.) Delgad. (Pottiaceae, Musci) in Russia

“…Leaves crouded, appressed, or lower leaves erect-spreading then dry, spreading then moist, variously lingulate: from narrowly lingulate in lover part of stem to ovate-lingulate in its upper part, often slightly constricted in proximal part, (0.8-)1.1-1.4(-1.6)×0.3-0.5(-0.6) mm (excluding hairpoint), strongly concave, infolded, leaf apex not cucullate, rounded or obtuse, rarely acute, hairpoints hyaline, brownish proximally, (0.65-)1.0-1.3 mm long, 70-100 μm wide at base, gradually tapering, smooth or with few blunt teeth, somewhat flexuose, fragile; margins broadly involute, entire or slightly serrulate; costa ending below apex to excurrent into hyaline hair-point, in transverse section composed of 1-2(-3) layers of large thin-walled discolored cells, without or with few stereids, not forming stereid bands; cells of dorsal epidermis with moderately thin radial walls and strongly incrassate, brownish outer walls; ventral filaments loosely branched, 80-110 μm long, composed of 3-7 thin-walled subspherical cells, terminal cells shortly elliptical, with incrassate hyaline apical part, 20-36 μm; median laminal cells in regular longitudinal rows, with strongly incrassate transverse walls, transversely rectangular to transversely fusiform, 6-11×12-24 μm, along margins in oblique rows; surface cells on dorsal side of costa along midline in 3-5 longitudinal rows thin-walled, elongate-rectangular, 24-36×7-12 μm, gradually transiting into transversely rectangular cells of unistratose lamina; cells of sheathing base quadrate to rectangular or transversely rectangular, (12-)16-28(-36) ×17-24 μm, with thin longitudinal walls and incrassate, yellowish transverse walls, at margins not differentiated. Dioicous [occasionally rhizoautoicous, according to Stark & Delgadillo, 2001]. Perichaetial leaves ovate to rounded, obtuse to acute, strongly concave, margins not involute, hair-points more flexuose of equal length with lamina.…”

“…These regions have been proposed to be combined into the CircumTethyan Subkingdom, regarding their richness in xerophytic mosses species (Frey & Kürschner, 1983Kürschner, 2008). Aloina bifrons is known from Spain, Italy (Sardinia), Morocco, Tunisia, Lybia, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, north-eastern Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Canada (British Columbia), U.S.A. (Idaho, Nevada, California, Arizona, Washington, Utah) and Mexico (Cano et al, 2004;Delgadillo, 1975Delgadillo, , 2007Frey & Kürschner, 1991;Stark & Delgadillo, 2001;Gallego et al, 1999;Kürschner, 2005;Kür-schner et al, 2006;McIntosh, 1989McIntosh, , 2003Gallego & Cano, 2006;Mamatkulov 1990;. In Southern Hemisphere A. bifrons occurs between 30° and 40° latitude in South Africa, Australia (Victoria), New Zealand (North Island) and Chile (Coquimbo Province) (Delgadillo, 1975, Weber, 1979, Magill, 1981.…”