Groutiella obtusa (Mitt.) Florsch.

(Fig. 9)

Flora of Surname 6 (1): 210 (Florschütz-de 1964).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Bahamas. Archipelago, Marsh Harbor Site, Lassiter & Sauleda 2078 (MO).

Belize. Cayo, Las Cuevas Field Station, Allen 18067 (MO).

Brazil. Amazon, Caripi & Para, Spruce 111 (lecto-, NY); Pará, Vigia, Davidse et al. 17600 (MO).

Colombia. Risaralda, Soratama, Schultes & Cabrerra 12857 (MO).

Dominica. Puerto Plata, Pico El Murazo, Reese 15453 (MO).

Ecuador. Morona Santiago,Carretera Macas-Limón, Ortega U.504 (MO).

Guyana. Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Matope Falls, Graham 351 (MO); Guiana, Richard s.n.

Peru. Loreto, Maynas, Hegewald 6327 (MO).

Suriname. Brokopondo, Allen 19351 (MO); Sipaliwini, Tafelberg, Allen 23579 (MO); El Dorado Falls, Allen 19246 (MO).

Venezuela. Amazonas, Río Negro, Liesner 16772A (MO, NSW).

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT. — The tropical region of America, north to Belize, south to Peru (Loreto). On bark of tree trunks and branches, and on rotten logs; 50-1200 m.

DESCRIPTION

For description, see Grout 1946; Florschütz-de 1964; Churchill & Linares 1995; Allen 2002.

COMMENTS

Groutiella obtusa is distinguished from all other species of Groutiella by its remarkably rugose leaves with raised streaks on the upper lamina, like the leaves of Macromitrium contextum Hampe. The length of leaves has some variation, from 1.3 to 2.0 mm, but all are typically lingulate (Fig. 9 B-E).

Another special character of G. obtusa is the spores, which are polygonal concave-constricted (Figs 3G; 9H). The only other Groutiella species with polygonal concave-constricted spores is G. tumidula. This character is documented to occur in Groutiella for the first time.