Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 758 No. 2: 22 May 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-22
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.758.2.5
Page range: 167-176
Abstract views: 0
PDF downloaded: 0

Riccia laevispora sp. nov. (Marchantiophyta: Ricciaceae): A new discovery from the Western Ghats, India

Department of Botany; University of Calicut; Thenhipalam; Malappuram District; Kerala-673 635; India
Department of Botany; University of Calicut; Thenhipalam; Malappuram District; Kerala-673 635; India
##plugins.generic.jatsParser.article.authorBio##
×

CHANDRASEKHARAN NAIR MANJU

University of Calicut

Australian National Herbarium; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); GPO Box 1700; Canberra; Australian Capital Territory 2601; Australia
##plugins.generic.jatsParser.article.authorBio##
×

DALE CHRISTINE CARGILL

Australian National Herbarium, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), GPO Box 1700, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia

Bryophytes Kaas Plateau liverworts Maharashtra Riccia singularis South Asia

Abstract

A new species of Riccia, R. laevispora sp. nov. is described and illustrated from the Satara district in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. This species is distinguished by its smooth, shiny spores, with broad, low spore ridges surrounding the punctae or indentations over the entire spore surface, are approximately 5 µm wide; ridge walls occasionally incomplete, result in the formation of larger punctae. Morphologically, Riccia laevispora is similar to R. singularis in its green and whitish thallus colour but differs in the cause for the whitish colouration and also differ in their spore ornamentations.

References

  1. Ahmad, S. (1942) Three new species of Riccia from India. Current Science 11 (11): 433–434.
  2. Athira, S. & Daniels, A.E.D. (2022) Riccia stenophylla Spruce (Ricciaceae: Marchantiophyta)—a new report for Asia from the Western Ghats of India. Phytotaxa 568 (3): 277–282. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.568.3.4
  3. Arnell, S. (1957) Hepaticae collected in South-West Africa by Prof. Dr O.H. Volk. Mitteilungen der Botanischen Staatssammlung Munchen 16: 262–272.
  4. Cargill, D.C., Manju, C.N., Deepa, K.M., Chandini, V.K. & Rajesh, K.P. (2019) A new Indian species of Riccia L. with connections to northern Australia. Journal of Bryology 41 (3): 236–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736687.2019.1611249
  5. Daniels, A.E.D. & Daniels, D.T.T. (2022) Riccia sarieae (Ricciaceae: Marchantiophyta)—a new species from a fragmented hillock of the Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 554 (2): 201–205. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.554.2.8
  6. Gottsche, C.M., Lindenberg, J.B.G. & Nees von Esenbeck, C.G. (1846) Synopsis Hepaticarum: coniunctis studiis scripserunt et edicuraverunt. Meissner, Hamburg, pp. 835.
  7. Jovet-Ast, S. (1991) Riccia (Hépatiques, Marchantiales) d’Amérique latine. Taxons du sous-genre Riccia. Cryptogamie: Bryologie. Lichénologie 12 (3): 189–370.
  8. Jovet-Ast, S. (1996) Riccia triseriata subgen. nov. et R. singularis sp. nov., taxons nouveaux d'Australie. Cryptogamie Bryologie et Lichenologie 17 (2): 127–133.
  9. Jovet-Ast, S. (2003) Riccia des Sous- genres Riccia et Ricciella récoltes en. Cryptogamie. Bryologie, lichenologie 24 (3): 209–228.
  10. Kulkarni, A., Shetti, R., Shigwan, B.K., Smrithy, V. & Datar, M.N. (2023) The relationship between vegetation, plant functional diversity and environment on rock outcrops in the Western Ghats, India. Plant Ecology & Diversity 16 (1–2): 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2023.2255999
  11. Levier, E. (1889) Riccia atromarginata Levier spec. Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano 21: 291–292.
  12. Linnaeus, C. (1753) Species Plantarum 2. Musci. Holmiae, Stockholm, Sweden, pp. 561–1200.
  13. Manju, C.N., Chandini, V.K., Singh, S.K. & Rajesh, K.P. (2021) A new species of Riccia (Ricciaceae: Marchantiophyta) from the Western Ghats of Kerala. The Bryologist 124 (3): 376–384. https://doi.org/10.1639/0007-2745-124.3.376
  14. Pande, S.K. & Udar, R. (1957a) A species of Riccia, R. aravalliensis Pande & Udar sp. Nov. from Mt. Abu, Rajasthan, India. Journal of the Indian Botanical Society 36: 248–253.
  15. Spruce, R. (1890) Hepaticae Novae Americaae Tropiae et Alae. Bulletin Société Boanique de France 36 (suppl. Congrès Bot. 1889): CLXXXIX–CXCV.189–195.
  16. Singh, D.K. (2024) Liverwort and Hornwort Diversity in India: An overview. In: Nampy, S., Pramod, C., Manju, C.N. & Sunojkumar, P. (Eds.) Glimpses of Diversity: Fungi & Plants. Indian Association for Angiosperm Taxonomy, Malappuram, pp. 77–93.
  17. Singh, D.K., Singh, S.K. & Singh, D. (2016) Liverworts and Hornworts of India An annotated Checklist. Botanical Survey of India, MoEFCC, Kolkata, 439 pp.
  18. Singh, S.K. (2014) An appraisal of genus Riccia in India with a note on diversity and distribution of species. International Journal of Sustainable Water and Environmental Systems 6 (1): 35–43.
  19. Srivastava, K.P. (1964) Bryophytes of India I. Ricciaceae. Bulletin of the National Botanic Garden, Lucknow 104: 1–103.
  20. Suresh, N. & Cargill, D.C. (2022) The African species Riccia okahandjana S.W. Arnell (Ricciaceae, Marchantiophyta), a new record for India. Phytotaxa 548 (1): 99–105. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.548.1.9
  21. Suresh, N. & Cargill, D.C. (2024) Riccia junghuhniana, (Ricciaceae, Marchantiophyta) A New Record for India from the state of Tamil Nadu. Phytotaxa 662 (1): 109–114. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.662.1.9
  22. Udar, R. (1956) On the two species of Riccia new to Indian flora. Current Science 25: 232–233.
  23. Watve, A. (2013) Status review of Rocky plateaus in the northern Western Ghats and Konkan region of Maharashtra, India with recommendations for conservation and management. Journal of Threatened taxa 5 (5): 3935–3962. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.o3372.3935-62
  24. Williams, Z., Daniels, A. & Cargill, D. (2024) On the occurrence of Riccia atromarginata Levier and R. boliviensis Jovet-Ast (Ricciaceae: Marchantiophyta) in the Western Ghats of India. Phytotaxa 649 (3): 286–292. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.649.3.6

How to Cite

Mufeed, B., Manju, C.N. & Cargill, D.C. (2026) Riccia laevispora sp. nov. (Marchantiophyta: Ricciaceae): A new discovery from the Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 758 (2): 167–176. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.758.2.5