''Itatiella ulei'' is a species of

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

in the family

Polytrichaceae Polytrichaceae is a common family of mosses. Members of this family tend to be larger than other mosses with a thickened central stem and a rhizome. The leaves have a midrib that bears photosynthetic lamellae on the upper surface. Species in ...

. It is the only species in the genus ''Itatiella''. The

is a common family of mosses that does not have close living relatives. Its small size and the inflexed leaf apex characterize ''Itatiella ulei''. When this species grows directly exposed to sun at high elevations, it presents a similar aspect but can be distinguished based on the distal lamella cells which are single and rhombic.

Description

''Itatiella ulei'' is dark green to brown 10-25mm long plant. Just like other moss, this plant divides into two parts, which are

sporophyte A sporophyte () is the diploid multicellular stage in the life cycle of a plant or alga which produces asexual spores. This stage alternates with a multicellular haploid gametophyte phase. Life cycle The sporophyte develops from the zygote pr ...

and gametophyte. The stems are brown, straight and forming tufts. The rhizome is pale-brown and facing down on the ground. Leaves are 2.5-4.0mm long and oblong-lanceolate in shape. This plant has hexagonal-quadratic cells that are thick walled. This plant is dioicous which means gametophytes produce sperm or eggs but never both. The perichaetium that surrounds the

archegonia An archegonium (pl: archegonia), from the ancient Greek ''ἀρχή'' ("beginning") and ''γόνος'' ("offspring"), is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants, producing and containing the ovum or female ga ...

and the base of the seta is terminal and their leaves are long. The perigonium that surrounds the antheridia is also terminal and their leaves are short and broad. Its small size and the inflexed leaf apex characterize ''Itatiella ulei''. This species is growing directly exposed to sun at high elevations present a similar aspect but can be distinguished based on the distal lamella cells which are single and rhombic. Sporophyte: The sporophytes are common, light brown with globose urns occurring on top of an erect, 5-10mm tall seta. The capsule is erect and symmetrical. The operculum is in a conic form. The operculum is equipped with long rostrate. The peristome teeth are absent so it is known as gymnostomous. The calyptra is hood-shaped and split on one side only, i.e. cucullate.

Distribution

''Itatiella ulei'' is endemic to southeastern and southern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. It can be found in some areas in the states of Espírito Santo,

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

, Paraná,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

and

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

. The last one that it was found was in upper montane forests above 5,000 feet in elevation. ItatiellaUleiMap

Ecology

''Itatiella ulei'' can be found in growing on the soil at the margins of montane forest and high campos in the Bioma Mata Atlântica, between 900–2,890 m alt.

References

* Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K. * Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2005. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Access date: May 13, 2011 * Gary L. Smith Merrill "Polytrichaceae". in Flora of North America Vol. 27 Page 24, 39, 116, 121, 122, 126, 156, 160. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. * Goffinet, B., W. R. Buck, and A. J. Shaw. 2009. Morphology, anatomy, and classification of the Bryophyta. Pages 56–138. In: Goffinet, B. and A. J. Shaw. (eds.). Bryophyte Biology. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. * Messmer, L. and T. C. Frye. 1947. The Polytrichum group between South America and the United States. The Bryologist 50:259–268. * Gradstein, S. R., S. P. Churchill, and N. Salazar-Allen. (eds.). 2001. Guide to the Bryophytes to Tropical America. Memoirs of The New York Botanical Garden 86:1–577. * Crosby, M. R., R. E. Magill, B. Allen, and S. He. 1999. A Checklist of the Mosses. Missouri Botanical Garden. St. Louis. * Crum, H. and L. E. Anderson. 1981. Mosses Eastern North America, vol. 2. Columbia University Press. New York. * Peralta, Denilson Fernandes, and Olga Yano. "Taxonomic Treatment of the Polytrichaceae from Brazil." The Bryologist 113.3. BioOne. Web. 13 May 2011. .

External links

Endangered Plants Profile at ''Endangered Plants''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q17285743, from2=Q5486302 Monotypic moss genera Polytrichaceae Flora of Brazil