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Tortula brevissima Schiffn., a New Record for the Moss Flora of TurkeyAuthor(s): Harald Kürschner and Gerald ParollySource: Lindbergia, Vol. 23, No. 2 (1998), pp. 110-112Published by: Oikos Editorial OfficeStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20149982 .

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LINDBERGIA 23: 110-112. Lund 1998

Tortula brevissima Schiffn., a new record for the moss flora of

Turkey

Harald K?rschner and Gerald Parolly

G. Parolly

K?rschner, H. and Parolly, G

for the moss flora of Turkey.

1998. Tortula brevissima Schiffn..

-Lindbergia23: 110-112.

a new record

Tortula brevissima Schiffn., a xeropottioid, circum-Tethyan species, is reported from Turkey for the first time, bridging a distributional gap between the type locality in Syria and its occurrences in southern Europe and Germany. The

locality is situated in the Besparmak Daglari (Western Turkey, Mugla prov

ince).

H. K?rschner and G. Parolly, Institut f?r Systematische Botanik und Pflanzen

geographie der Freien Universit?t Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, D-14195 Berlin,

Germany.

Tortula brevissima Schiffn., a representative of the

xeropottioid, circum-Tethyan genoelement (Frey and K?rschner 1988) was described by Schiffner (1913) from Syria, where it is widespread on calcareous, gypsaceous and marly soils in the Syro-Mesopotamian steppe region (Jezira) and foothills, developed under an arid desert climate. It is a very small, gregarious plant, characterized by ovate to ovate-lanceolate

leaves, a smooth, hyaline hair-point (Fig. 1(1, 2)), strongly papillose cells (Fig. 1(3,4)), a revolute mar

gin, with two rows of marginal cells broader than long (Fig. 1(5)), and a costa which is continuously broad ened towards the apex by inflated, subcostate, papil lose and highly chlorophyllous cells (in cross-section

with 4-5 very large, swollen ventral cells, Fig. 1(3, 6). Such ventral swollen cells, increasing the costa

width, are, along with the evolution of distinct ventral

outgrows on the costa (lamellae, filaments) typical of,

e.g.,Aloina, Crossidium, or Pterygoneurum, are seen

as indications of xerophytism and adaptations to sunny and dry habitats [xeropottioid life syndrom sensu Frey and K?rschner (1988), Xerogeophytia sensu Gams

(1932)]. These characters are typical of numerous

Pottiaceae which all derived from an old, Tortula Desmatodon-Mke ancestor [Delgadillo (1975), xero

thermic Pangaean element sensu Frey and K?rschner

(1988)]. This increase in the costa width (crassicostate costa)

is a unique feature of a group of Tortula Hedw. spe cies, and links T. brevissima with T. atrovirens (Sm.) Lindb., T. lingulata Lindb., T. obtusifolia (Schwaegr.)

Mathieu, and T. revolvens (Schimp.) Roth. According to Wijk and Margadant (1959), these species belong to the sect. Crassinerves (Milde) Wijk & Marg. of the

genus Tortula [Basionym: Barbula Hedw. sect.

Crassinerves Milde, Bryol. Siles. 11: 112. 1869; Syn.: Barbula sect. Crassicostatae Schimp., Syn. 2. 1876; Tortula sect. Crassicostatae (Schimp.) Podp., Consp. 242. 1954; Pachyneurum Amann, Fl. Mousse Suisse 2: 112. 1918], and are all indicators of xeric, semi

arid habitats. In the Near and Middle East, Tortula brevissima is

known from Iraq (Agnew and Vondr?cek 1975), Is

rael (Bilewsky and Nachmony 1955), Jordan (Towns end 1966), the arid central part of Saudi Arabia

(K?rschner 1996), and Syria (Schiffner 1913; cf. also

Frey and K?rschner 1991) (Fig. 2). In Europe, it is

reported from France, Spain, and Switzerland (Casas 1975, Ros and Guerra 1984, Boudier 1988), and the

most xeric sites of Germany (Kyffh?user and Schwel Accepted 10 July 1998 ? LINDBERGIA 1998

110 LINDBERGIA 23:2 (1998)

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j ??s/ aw?^

/ / W /^?) or x^s.

Y __L_._^ / / W^^-44iyW-^^ 150 }xm " ^^

Fig. 1. Tortula brevissima Schiffn. 1: Habit; 2: Leaves; 3: Cross-section of costa; 4: Upper lamina cells; 5: Basal marginal cells; 6: Cross-sections of leaves (from K?rschner & Parolly 98M-118).

lenburg near Erfurt, Th?ringen; Reimers 1940), indi

cating again its xerophytic character. It is therefore not surprising that T. brevissima oc

curs also in Turkey, where it was found during a field

trip to the Besparmak Daglari (Latmos; prov. Mugla) near the Bafa G?l? in Western (Aegean) Turkey in

spring 1998. The plants grow on weathered schists under xeric conditions in Pinus brutia Ten. woodland. This new locality bridges a distributional gap between

the southernmost outposts of the species, the type lo

cality in Syria (Fig. 7) and Europe. The species obvi

ously is undercollected in Turkey and it could be ex

pected at least in the semi-arid to arid parts of Inner Anatolia (Tuz G?l? basin) and the steppes around Urfa.

Specimen examined: Vilayet Mugla: Besparmak Dag lari, between Ak?ale andYeniokul, east of Bu?ak, 480

m alt., on weathered schists in Pinus brutia wood

LINDBERGIA 23:2 (1998) 111

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Fig. 2. Distribution of Tortula brevissima Schiffn. in the Near and Middle East, based on published records.

\?m?, K?rschnerei Parolly, 98M-118, 19 March 1998. Herb. H. K?rschner (Berlin).

Acknowledgement -

We are grateful to H. L?nser (Berlin) for drawing Fig. 1.

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