Studies in the liverwort genus Fossombronia ( Metzgeriales ) from southern Africa . 11 . F . zuurbergensis , a new species from Eastern Cape and new records for the area

Fossombronia zuurbergensis Perold, sp. nov. from Eastern Cape is described. It is distinguished by having leaves and pseudoperianths with markedly dentate margins; the spore ornamentation on the distal face consists of ridges which can be quite variable, although, at least some of them run parallel to each other in straight or curved, short or long ridges, others occurring at right angles to the former. New records for F. capensis var. capensis and F. crispa are reported for Eastern Cape. Bothalia 31,1: 25-29(2001) Fossombronia zuurbergensis Perold, sp. nov. Plantae aggregatae, virides, dioicae; masculae parvae vel mediocres, feminae maiores. Folio patentia, marginibus valde dentatis, saepe in plantis masculis minoribus supra subbiloba. Rhizoidea purpurea. Antheridia serie uno dorsaliter secus caulem disposita, a bracteis perigonialibus protecta, plerumque lateraliter juncta et cum 3-8 processis spinosis. Pseudoperianthium campanulatum, folio proxime juxta idem paulo brevius. breviter stipitatum, supra late expansum. margine in ore valde convoluto dentatoque, cum usque ad 33 processibus spinosis, basin versus cum appendicibus lateralibus versiformibus. Sporae 37.5-45.0 pm diametro, superficie distali cum 7-9 cristis transversis brevibus vel longis, ± 5 pm distantibus, 2.5 pm altis, paucis rectis, aliis curvatis, inter se parallelis, gregibus nonnullis ad i I las perpendicularibus; superficie proximali cum processibus irregularibus conicis vel spinosis, papillisque minoribus tecta. Elateres 75-125 pm longi, 5.0-12.5 pm lati, tcnue papillosi, alii 2vel 3-spirales, alii medio 3-spirales, apicibus bispi­

Dioicous.Antheridia in a row dorsally along stem (Figure 2A), short-stalked, globose, 220-250 pm diam., shielded by perigonial bracts (Figure IR-V), mostly lat erally joined.400-590 x 320-440 pm, with 3-8 spinous processes, each with an apical papilla, marginal cells 4sided, 50-70 x 25.0-37.5 pm, internal cells long-rectangular.50-85 x 30.0-37.5 pm.Archegonia in a single row or in pairs, opposite or subopposite, dorsally along stem, 140-200 pm long, one recently fertilized, (Figure 2E).Pseudoperianth shortly proximal to apex of stem (Figure 2B) or nearer to base (Figure 2 0 , rarely 2 per shoot (Figure 2D), campanulate (Figure IX), slightly shorter than large leaf immediately lateral to it, raised on a short stalk, 700-875 pm wide at base, then widely flaring above (Figure 2F), 2000-2250 pm long, up to 2750 pm w ide across mouth, margin highly convolute and dentate, with up to 33 spinous processes (Figure IW), 87.5-500.0pm or 3-5 cells and an apical papilla long, generally raised on a gradually widening base, cells comparable in shape and size to those of leaves; toward base with sev-  each other, but some groups running at right angles to the former, occasionally interlinked to form complete or incomplete alveoli, truncate or spinous processes some times interspersed in between; proximal face (Figure 3E) lacking triradiate mark, flat to slightly concave, covered with irregular conical or spinous processes and smaller papillae, around spore periphery 21-25 projecting 'spines', i.e. the ends of ridges which extend over the sides of the distal face, some joined by an incomplete membranous wing.Elaters yellow, 75-125 x 5.0-12.5 ^im, tapering to tips and ending in loop, or not, finely papillose (Figure 3F), bispiral or trispiral, others trispiral in centre, tips bispiral, very rarely once furcate.
Fossombronia zuurbergensis has been named for the Zuurberg in the Eastern Cape (Figure 4), where it was collected at several localities along the Pass, some only in small stands, others in larger clumps.A few collections had to be kept in cultivation to allow the spores to ripen.The vegetation type of vascular plants in this area is Mountain Fynbos (Low & Rebelo 1996).The soil is derived from quartzitic sandstone shale of the Witpoort/ Weltevrede formation of the Witteberg group of the Cape Supergroup (Visser 1984).It was recently also collected further to the west at Baviaanskloof (3324DA) along the banks of the Wit River, at altitude ± 900 m.These areas have fairly sparse rain, both in winter and in summer.
On account of the markedly dentate margins of the leaves and pseudoperianths, it was originally thought that these plants, although noticeably larger, belonged to F. spinifolia Steph., which had only been collected twice by Breutel in 1853 at Genadendal in the Western Cape (Perold 1997a).However, on comparing the ornamenta tion on the distal face of F. zuurbergensis spores with those of F. spinifolia, the former has 7-9, longer and sometimes parallel, as well as smoother ridges running across it.In F. spinifolia spores the 6 or 7 ridges on the distal face, besides being shorter, are also much less reg ular and not smooth; occasionally with a few large papil lae interspersed between them.F. densilamellata S.W.Amell (1952) also has spores with parallel ridges on the distal spore face, but they are closer together and more numerous, i.e. 12-16 and are sometimes connected with slender threads between them (Perold 1997b).

F.
zuurbergensis can be distinguished by the many spinose processes at the margins of the leaves and pseudoperianths, by being dioicous with smaller male plants, by mostly composite perigonial bracts and by the spore ornamentation with some smooth, parallel ridges on the distal face.crispa is widespread in southern Africa (Perold 1997c), but has not previously been reported from Eastern Cape.I collected the specimens in October 1999, at Nerina Bush Camp along the stream bank, on soil in the Zuurberg National Park.The spores have the usual incompletely reticulate ornamentation on the distal face.The plants, however, are clearly dioicous.In Perold (1997c), I, stated that F. crispa is 'monoicous, sometimes seemingly dioicous'.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED
Held at PRE. Bracketed numbers after collectors' name and number refer to the species in the text, namely: F. zuurbergensis (1), F. capensis var.capensis (2) and F. crispa (3).
NEW RECORDS OF F. CAPENSIS VAR.CAPENSIS FROM EASTERN CAPEF.capensis var.capensis(Perold 1999) was collected for the first time in Eastern Cape at several localities along the Zuurberg Pass and at Baviaanskloof.Sporulating specimens are easy to recognize because of the poor ly formed elaters.NEW RECORDS OF F. CRISPA FROM EASTERN CAPE F.