ALBERT

Description: Data on structure and chemistry of oil bodies are being provided for twenty species of leafy Hepaticae, most of them belonging to Lejeuneaceae. Oil bodies are described as new for Symbiezidium, which stands out among Lejeuneaceae by its large, Bazzania-type oil bodies. The observed occurence of segmented as well as homogeneous oil bodies in Archilejeunea and Dicranolejeunea constitutes a further break-down of what was generally considered a stable generic character in Lejeuneaceae. Detected chemical compounds include a large number of unidentified terpenoids. Sesquiterpene lactones, traditionally considered important chemical markers for Frullaniaceae, were newly detected in Lepicolea (Lepicoleaceae), Clasmatocolea (Lophocoleaceae) and Omphalanthus (Lejeuneaceae). Of particular chemotaxonomic interest is the discovery of large quantities of pinguisane-type sesquiterpenes in Brachiolejeunea subg. Plicolejeunea, Trocholejeunea and Acrolejeunea, corroborating the close morphological relationship among these three groups, as well as the occurence of two morphologically and chemically distinct races in Gongylanthus granatensis. Obeserved intraspecific chemical variation in Marchesinia brachiata is considered dubious and possibly related to the different states of preservation of the material.\nFurther taxonomic notes include new synonymy in Dicranolejeunea (D. cipaconea (Gott.) Steph. = D. circinnata (Spruce) Steph. syn. Nov.) as well as a key to the five Andean species of Omphalanthus Nees. The morphological circumscription of Omphalanthus is expanded by the inclusion of Brachiolejeunea paramicola Herz. (= O. paramicola (Herz.) Gradst. comb. nov.), characterised by the pluriplicate perianth.

Description: Chemical analysis of representatives of about thirty genera of Lejeuneaceae has shown that the terpenoid and flavonoid content of the Lejeuneaceae is basically comparable to that of other Hepaticae and quite diversified. Among the terpenoids detected, some are common throughout the family (elemenenes, germacrenes), others are distributed more restrictedly and are indicative of evolutionary relationships among genera, e.g. borneols (Nipponolejeunea), pinguisanines (Acrolejeunea complex), striatenes (Ptychanthoideae, Omphalanthus complex), calamenanes ( Lopholejeunea) and labdanes (Ptychanthus, Tuzibeanthus). Flavonoids are present in smaller amounts than terpenoids and comprise some compounds unique to bryophytes (lutonarin, kaempferol-3-methylether). The genus Omphalanthus stands out by its total inability to biosynthesize flavonoids. At the species level the chemical constitution may vary considerably and in some species evidence for the existence of chemical races was detected.

Description: Neohattoria Kamim. is a monotypic genus of the Jubulaceae (= Frullaniaceae) with a single species, N. herzogii (Hatt.) Kamim., known from central to northern Japan and the southern part of the Kurile Islands. The present genus was segregated from Frullania by Kamimura (1961; sub. nom. Hattoria Kamim. nom. illeg., non Schust., 1961) on the basis of the branching type, the shape of the first leaf and underleaf on branch, the total lack of secondary pigmentation, the uniform cell structure of the stem in cross section, and the strongly toothed leaf lobes. The generic concept of Neohattoria was greatly expanded by Schuster (1970), who included eight species and classified them into two subgenera, subgen. Neohattoria (with a single species) and subgen. Microfrullania Schust. (with seven species); however, Hattori et al. (1972) transferred all species of subgen. Microfrullania to a newly segregated genus Schusterella Hatt. et al., thus retaining the monotypic status of Neohattoria.\nAs already described and illustrated by Hattori (1955), Kamimura (1961), Mizutani (1961), Ladyzhenskaja (1963), Schuster (1970), and Hattori et al. (1972), Neohattoria herzogii is closely related to species of both Jubula and Frullania. Regarding the taxonomic desposition of Neohattoria, Mizutani (1961) and Mizutani & Hattori (1969) placed it with Jubula in a subfamily Jubuloideae of Lejeuneaceae and Hattori et al. placed it in Jubulaceae (s. lat.). But, Kamimura (1961), Schuster (1970, 1979), and Guercke (1978) placed it more close to Frullania, e.g. in a subfamily Frullanioideae of Jubulaceae (s. lat.); more recently, Asakawa et al. (1979b), admitting three distinct families, Jubulaceae, Frullaniaceae, and Lejeuneaceae, placed Neohattoria and Jubula in the Jubulaceae (s. str.) but Frullania and Schusterella in the Frullaniaceae.

Description: The genus Nipponolejeunea Hattori was established by Hattori (1944) based on Pycnolejemea pilifera Steph. from Japan. Its primary important generic characters include 1) the two gynoecial innovations, 2) the triplicate perianth, and 3) the long cilia on leaf- and underleaf-margin. Hattori (1944) also assigned Pycnolejeunea subalpina Horik. to Nipponolejeunea, thus admitting two Japanese species in that genus. Since then, the genus Nipponolejeunea has been repeatedly discussed, especially by Mizutani (1961) and Schuster (1963) from taxonomic points of view. The branching and innovation types of Nipponolejeunea were described by Mizutani (1970); Inoue (1976) proposed the subgeneric separation of the two species, as subgen. Nipponolejeunea (with N. pilifera) and subgen. Mizutania (with N. subalpina). Surprisingly, Grolle (1981) recently found a fossil species of this genus in Europe, N. europaea Grolle, embedded in an amber, from the southern part of Scandinavia. The species belongs in the subgen. Mizutania and, according to Grolle (1981), might even prove to be conspecific with N. subalpina.\nRegarding the taxonomic position of Nipponolejeunea, Mizutani (1961) placed the genus in the subfamily Jubuloideae together with Jubula and Neohattoria, but Schuster (1963) proposed an independent subfamily in the Lejeuneaceae for this genus, Nipponolejeuneoideae Schust. & Kachroo, which has now become generally accepted (cf. Gragstein, 1979; Schuster, 1979).