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PODOSTEMACEAE

Tristicha

Thouars

Source:

SSA

Description:

Moss-like plants, with haptera, and filiform to linear, creeping roots. Stems branching freely and sympodially, giving off leafy shoots and abbreviated flowering shoots. Leaves tristichous with 2 lateral and one dorsal row, closely imbricate, sessile, simple, small, ovate, consisting of one layer of cells in thickness. Flowers terminal and/or axillary, surrounded at base, with 2 or 3 free bracts; pedicels erect, sometimes short. Perianth usually marcescent, consisting of 3 lobes united at base. Stamens 1, hypogynous; filaments filiform; anthers apiculate. Ovary sessile, 3-locular with a swollen, triangular placenta; styles 3, short, linear, with stigmatic area decurrent on inside. Capsule ovoid, ribbed, septicidally 3-valved, 1 valve breaking away.

Distribution:

Species 2, 1 in Australia, the other: Tristicha trifaria (Bory ex Willd.) Spreng., tropical America, Africa and the Mascarene Islands; sthn Afr.: Namibia, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.

Sphaerothylax

Bisch.

Source:

SSA

Description:

Herbs with a basal, thaloid body closely appressed to substrate (resembling Marchantia); upper branches, if developed, erect, slender, with leaves and flowers congested at nodes. Leaves either repeatedly forked into linear segments or scale-like. Flowers solitary or aggregated both on thallus and in axils of leaves on elongated stems, subtended by some rough, open bracts (reduced leaves); spathella obovoid, splitting irregularly, forming an open, funnel-shaped cup; pedicels up to 2 mm long. Perianth of 2 subulate segments. Stamens 2, with filaments fused to apex. Ovary 1-locular, ovoid, sessile or shortly stipitate; styles 2. Capsule globose to subglobose, with 8 wide ribs, opening by 2 unequal valves, larger one persistent. Seeds flattened, ovate, smooth, black.

Distribution:

Species 2 or perhaps more, Madagascar and tropical Africa; 1 in sthn Afr.: Sphaerothylax algiformis Bisch., along the eastern escarpment from Mpumalanga to the Eastern Cape.

Letestuella

G.Taylor

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Leiothylax sensu Obermeyer: 208 (1970).

Description:

Roots thalloid. Stems elongated, branching up to 50 mm long. Leaves linear or forked with linear segments, up to 40 mm long, often with stipule-like teeth at base. Flowers solitary or in irregular clusters, subsessile at anthesis; pedicel elongating to +/- 10 mm long in fruit; spathella oblong-ovoid, becoming campanulate with revolute teeth after rupturing. Perianth of 2 segments, one on each side of andropodium. Stamens (1)2; pollen in monads. Ovary 1-locular; stigmas 2, linear. Capsules globose, smooth, opening by equal and caducous valves.

Distribution:

Species 1: Letestuella tisserantii G.Taylor, Kunene River, Namibia. Leiothylax warmingii sensu Podlech: 1 (1966) and Obermeyer: 208 (1970) is, according to Cusset: 209 (1980), most probably Letestuellatisserantii. The genus Leiothylax with 3 species in tropical Africa has not been recorded from sthn Afr.

Ledermanniella

Engl.

Source:

SSA

Synonym(s):

Inversodicraea Engl.: 271 (1915); Obermeyer: 208 (1970); Cusset: 361 (1983).

Description:

Small to fairly robust herbs, sometimes with thalloid bodies only or developing stems on which leaves and inflorescences are borne. Stems erect, branched, woody, often sparsely to densely covered with small, imbricate leaves or bracts. Leaves dimorphous: (a) floating, linear, often branching dichotomously; (b) bract-like, hard, often dentate, in many species covering the abbreviated, fertile shoots. Flowers single in axils of bract-like leaves, aggregated towards apices; spathella obovoid, apiculate, splitting laterally, apex remaining intact; flower recurved in spathella, becoming erect at anthesis, pedicelled. Perianth 0 or of 2 minute, subulate segments situated on each side of stamen(s). Stamens 1 or 2, if 2, with filaments fused nearly to apex; pollen in monads or diads. Ovary ovoid to fusiform; styles 2, subulate, papillate, usually recurved. Capsule ovoid to ellipsoid, 10-ribbed, with all ribs running entire length of capsule, opening by 2 subequal valves; one or both persistent.

Distribution:

Species +/- 15; 1 in sthn Afr.: Ledermanniella warmingiana (Gilg) C.Cusset, Kunene River, Namibia.

Saxicolella

Engl.

Description:

Submerged freshwater herbs; basal part thalloid, ribbon-like or foliaceous; plants +/- stemless or forming well-developed stems. Leaves linear, simple, +/- dichotomously divided, or laciniate. Flowers solitary or in groups, pedicellate or sessile, erect inside an ellipsoid or narrowly ovoid spathella dehiscing irregularly from apex at anthesis. Tepals 2. Stamen 1 surrounded by tepals, longer than ovary; anther introrse; pollen in diads. Ovary 1-locular, ellipsoid to fusiform, borne on a very short gynophore; placenta central, narrowly ellipsoid, pedicellate or sessile, bearing many anatropous ovules; stigmas 2, linear. Capsule ellipsoid, with 8 narrow ribs, dehiscing into equal, persistent valves. Seeds many, ellipsoid, slightly flattened, with reticulate testa.

Distribution:

Species 2, tropical W Africa; sthn trop. Afr. ?2, Angola.

Source:

SSTA

Leiothylax

Warm.

Description:

Submerged freshwater herbs; basal part thalloid, foliaceous or ribbon-like. Stems long, simple or divaricately branched. Leaves dichotomously branched, segments linear. Spathellas (spathaceous bracts) in clusters along the stems, ovoid to subspherical, rupturing irregularly at the apex at anthesis; flower inverted (reflexed) within the spathella before anthesis. Pedicel long-exserted after anthesis, bearing the flower erect. Tepals 2, minute, one on each side of the andropodium. Stamens 2(3); filaments joined for at least half their length; anthers 2-locular, introrse; pollen in monads. Ovary spherical, 1-locular with central placentation, borne on a well-developed gynophore and surmounted by 2 free styles; placentas globular, bearing many anatropous ovules. Capsule smooth, globose, dehiscing into 2 equal caducous valves. Seeds many, small, red-brown, testa reticulate.

Distribution:

Species 3, trop. Africa; sthn trop.Afr. 3, Angola, Zambia.

Source:

SSTA

Dicraeanthus

Engl.

Description:

Herbs attached to rocks in fast-flowing freshwater; basal part thalloid, bearing long simple or branched branches floating in current. Leaves alternate, arranged all along branches at regular intervals, usually +/- dichotomously divided. Flowers arranged in pedicelled or sessile inflorescences, either on main branches or on short branches in leaf axils; spathellas each enclosing an inverted flower, ovoid or ellipsoid, opening irregularly from the apex; pedicel far exserted after anthesis. Tepals 2. Stamens 2, surrounded by tepals, usually shorter than ovary; filaments fused in basal part; anthers introrse; pollen in diads. Ovary unilocular, very narrowly ellipsoid, borne on a well-developed gynophore; placenta central; ellipsoid, bearing many anatropous ovules; stigmas 2, conical; slightly fused at base. Capsule 8-ribbed, dehiscing by 2 equal valves remaining attached at apex. Seeds many, small, with reticulate testa.

Distribution:

Species 2, W trop. Africa; sthn trop. Afr. ?1, Angola (record not confirmed).

Source:

SSTA

Angolaea

Wedd.

Description:

Herbs attached to rocks in fast-flowing freshwater, resembling a seaweed; stem and primary branches thick, transparent, green. Leaves dichotomously divided into linear segments. Flowers bisexual, each enclosed in an irregularly bursting spathella (a membranous sac), either solitary near sinus of dichotomies or 2-5 in umbellate cymes near ends of branchlets; bracts similar to leaves but shorter and with flattened segments; spathella calyx-like, pedicellate and bursting by 3-5 unequal lobes. Tepals 2, minute. Stamens 3(4); filaments slightly flattened, free or 2 connate at base; anthers 2-thecous, oblong; pollen grains in diads, pale yellow. Ovary 1-locular, stipitate, ellipsoid to narrowly obovoid, somewhat shorter than stamens; stigma subsessile, capitate, obliquely ovoid to hemispherical, papillose; placenta central, swollen, multi-ovulate. Capsule ovoid, 8-ribbed, dehiscing by 2 equal valves. Seeds many.

Distribution:

Monotypic genus: Angolaea fluitans Wedd., endemic in Angola.

Source:

SSTA

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PODOSTEMACEAE