On the zoochory of Schistostega pennata (Schistostegaceae, Musci)

Abstract

The spores of Schistostega pennata (Hedw.) Web. et Mohr have sticky surface and can not be freely dispersed by wind in fresh state. Also spore surface ornamentation is very similar to that of Splachnum, Tetraplodon and Aplodon, genera strictly adapted to entomochory; this allows to suggest the adaptation to zoochory in Schistostega. Other evidences of zoochory in Schistostega are based on its recent rapid expansion in some parts of Central Russia, on habitat peculiarities, and on some other parallels in morphology with Splachnaceae. The possible dispersal agents are discussed (birds, mammals, insects, spiders, etc.), but no one of them can be chosen as the main one, at least in the forests of Central Russia. ÐåçþìåÑïîðû Schistostega pennata (Hedw.) Web. et Mohr èìåþò ëèïêóþ ïîâåðõíîñòü è â ñâåaeåì ñîñòîÿíèè íå ìîãóò ðàñïðîñòðàíÿòüñÿ âåòðîì. Îðíàìåíòàöèÿ ïîâåðõíîñòè ñïîð âåñüìà ñõîäíà ñ òàêîâîé Splachnum, Tetraplodon è Aplodon, ðîäîâ, äëÿ êîòîðûõ ïîêàçàíà èñêëþ÷èòåëüíàÿ àäàïòàöèÿ ê ýíòîìîõîðíîìó ðàñïðîñòðàíåíèþ ñïîð. Ýòî äàåò âîçìîaeíîñòü ïðåäïîëîaeèòü çîîõîðèþ êàê îñíîâíîé ñïîñîá ðàñïðîñòðàíåíèÿ äèàñïîð ó Schistostega. Äîïîëíèòåëüíûìè îñíîâàíèÿìè äëÿ òàêîãî çàêëþ÷åíèÿ ÿâëÿþòñÿ äàííûå î íåäàâíåì áûñòðîì ðàññåëåíèè Schistostega â Öåíòðàëüíîé Ðîññèè, îñîáåííîñòÿõ åå ýêîëîãèè, à òàêaeå ïðî÷èõ îáùèõ ñî Splachnaceae ìîðôîëîãè÷åñêèõ ïðèçíàêàõ. Âîçìîaeíûìè ïåðåíîñ÷èêàìè äèàñïîð ìîãóò áûòü ðàçíûå aeèâîòíûå (ïòèöû, çâåðè, íàñåêîìûå, ïàóêîîáðàçíûå è äð.), íî âûÿâèòü ãëàâíîãî ðàñïðîñòðàíèòåëÿ ñïîð â ëåñàõ Öåíòðàëüíîé Ðîññèè íå óäàëîñü.

Paraphyly of bryophytes and close relationship of hornworts and vascular plants inferred from chloroplast rDNA spacers sequence analysis

“…(1998), i.e. mosses with Dicranum-type peristome, we found that one of the gymnostomic mosses, Schistostega, joins this group, although its sporoderma characters and mode of spore dispersion is similar to di plolepidous Splachnaceae (Ignatov, Ignatova, 2001). Such a position of Schistostega finds added support in the results of mitochondrial nad2 and nad5 gene studies (Beckert & al., 1999;2001).…”

An additional observations on protonema of Schistostega pennata (Bryophyta)

“…Published photographs (e.g. Ignatov & Ignatova, 2001) show that they are growing in parallel planes. Toda (1918) found that once formed the protonema of Schistostega does not change its direction towards light, being nevertheless positively heliotropous, as new filaments appear and grow mostly towards the light source.…”

“…F. Weber & D. Mohr, the only representative of the family Schistostegaceae, is a Circum-Holarctic moss species, in general infrequent in most regions of the world, being found in most areas in caves. Recently it became rather common in mesic to humid conifer forests in Moscow Province (Ignatov & Ignatova, 2001) and neighboring areas, where it quickly spread on the soil walls under upturned roots of fallen trunks (Fig. 1).…”

“…Oliver, cited by Glime, 2009). Ignatov & Ignatova (2001) describing numerous hanging protonemas on soil faces under uprutned roots called it "umbrellas. "…”

Meeting between kingdoms: discovery of a close association between Diplopoda and Bryophyta in a transitional Andean-Pacific forest in Colombia

“…Another type of relationship is that of zoochory, only recorded in moss families located in temperate regions: Splachnaceae, whose spores are dispersed by Diptera in Europe (Koponen 1990, Lloret 1990) and Chile (Jofre et al 2011), and Schistostegaceae, by several arthropods (spiders, insects) in Europe (Ignatov and Ignatova 2001), or liverworts and Cyanobacteria by Arachnida (Machado and Vital 2001) and Algae and bryophytes by lizards (Gradstein and Equihua 1995) in México, and mosses by Coleoptera in Oceania (Gradstein et al 1984).…”