New national and regional bryophyte records, 72

Abstract

11. Weissia jamaicensis (Mitt.) GroutContributors. A. C. Cottet and M. I. MessutiArgentina. Santa Cruz province, Parque NacionalMonte León, 50°20´64.61”S, 68°53´31.1”W, 20 m a.s.l.,on soil, 3 December 2019, leg. A. C. Cottet s.n. (BCRU).Specimens of Weissia jamaicensis were collectedwithin the Patagonian phytogeographic region,which includes plateaux and low mountains withsandy-stony soils, poor in organic matter. The climateis cold and dry and the rainfall ranges between 100and 300 mm per year (Arana et al. 2021). Species ofWeissia Hedw. typically develop on soil in disturbedenvironments in montane or submontane regions ofthe world (Gradstein et al. 2001). In Argentina, in thenorthern, central and southern regions of thecountry, six species have been recorded: Weissia argentinicaMüll.Hal., W. canaliculata Hampe, W. controversaHedw., W. lorentzii (Müll.Hal.) R.H.Zander,W. patagonica Cardot & Broth. and W. semi-involutaMüll.Hal. (Matteri 2003).Weissia jamaicensis is distinguished from otherspecies of Weissia by having long, linear-lanceolateleaves with a broad base composed of hyaline cells,which sometimes extend up the leaf margins to forma v-shaped interface with the chlorophyllose lamina(Allen 2002). The species was previously reportedfrom North, Central and South America, includingMexico, the West Indies, and Bolivia (Cano et al.2008). This new record for Argentina occurred in asimilar habitat to ones in which the species has previouslybeen recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.