- Status:
Endemic to New Zealand
- Description:
Plants of the Jubulaceae are small to large, range in colour from green to brown, reddish, or purple-blackish, and have a creeping to ascending or pendent growth habit, with rigid stems and ± pinnate branching. In contrast, Lejeuneaceae (with the exception of Lepidolejeunea eluta) differ from the Jubulaceae in that they are typically green and lack any secondary pigmentation (Gradstein et al., 2001). The leaves of both families are peculiar in that they are divided into three portions, consisting of a large dorsal lobe, a small ventral lobe (=lobule) hidden under the dorsal lobe, and a minute stylus between the lobule and the stem. However, the stylus in the Lejeuneaceae is usually reduced to a small slime papilla (Gradstein et al., 2001). The Jubulaceae can also be differentiated from the Lejeuneaceae by the outstanding ventral lobe, which is almost free from the larger dorsal lobe, and typically modified into an inflated, saclike, lobule whose aperture is directed toward the shoot base or toward the stem.
- Images:
Frullania
Jubula
Image library coming soon
- Identification/Recognition in field:
Morphologically, Jubulaceae subfam. Frullanoideae can be differentiated from subfam. Jubuloideae by: (1) plants usually with secondary pigmentation; (2) initial leaves of branches either trifid or bifid; and (3) spores with 'rosette-like' protrusions. Conversely, in subfam. Jubuloideae the plants are: (1) soft and without secondary pigmentation (thus usually dull green); (2) the initial leaves of branches are small, subtriangular, and never tri- or bifid; and (3) the spores without rosette-like protrusions.
- Relationships:
In order to ascertain more meaningful phylogenetic relationships, analysis incorporating data from chemical, molecular, and morphological data is required, including a range of genera and species from the Jubulaceae, Lejeuneaceae, Porellaceae, and Goebeliellaceae, especially before any further attempts at re-classification.
Lejeuneaceae possibly represents the most closely related family to the Jubulaceae (Crandall-Stotler & Stotler, 2000; Kamimura, 1961; Schuster, 1992); Gradstein et al. (2001) also noted a close affinity between the two families, stating that the Lejeuneaceae is the sister group of the Jubulaceae. Features shared by both families include: the leaves divided into three parts; the beaked perianths; the enclosed sporophyte in a stalked, true calyptra; the bistratose capsule wall; and the vertically aligned elaters that are attached to the valve apices (Gradstein et al., 2001; Schuster, 1992).
- Classification/Phylogeny:
- Division: Marchantiophyta
- Class: Jungermanniopsida Stotler & Stot.-Crand.
- Subclass: Jungermanniidae Engl. emend. Stotler & Stot.-Crand.
- Order: Porellales (R. M. Schust.) Schljakov emend. Stotler & Stot.-Crand.
- Family: Jubilaceae H. Klinggr
- Subfamily: Jubolideae
- Subfamily: Frullaniadeae Guerke
- Nomenclature:
Grolle (1964) cited Jubulaceae Limpricht corr. Massal. (1912) as the oldest valid family name, but later Grolle (1972) credited the Jubulaceae to Klinggraff (1858). Both Limpricht and Klinggraff described a group "Jubuleae", which was based on the "Jubuleae" of Dumortier (1831). However, only with Massalongo (1912) was the group, with the present familial suffix "-aceae" established. Grolle (1972) highlighted that Massalongo's proposal must be regarded as illegitimate since it included the type genus of the older Jubuloideae. Conversely, the name Frullaniaceae has been used consistently by many workers (to include both Jubula and Frullania) since the time of Massalongo e.g. Verdoorn (1928-32), Evans (1939), Müeller (1951-58), Kamimura (1961), Mizutani (1962), and Schuster (1956, 1963, 1966). In fact, Schuster (1992) suggested that the familiar name Frullaniaceae should have been conserved against the unfamiliar name Jubulaceae.
- Geographic distribution:
Worldwide in deciduous and broadleaf evergreen forests of temperate and tropical regions, especially associated with moist, humid sites, often near flowing water. Asia, Indomalaysia, New Guinea, North and South America, Europe, islands of the Pacific, including the Hawaiian Islands.
- Habitat:
- Chemistry:
Chemically, Frullania species (i.e., subfam. Frullanoideae) in general, produce significant amounts of sesquiterpene lactones, diterpenoids, and bibenzyl derivatives, which are considered important chemosystematic markers of the group (Asakawa et al., 1981a; Asakawa et al. 1983; Asakawa et al. 1987a; Kraut et al. 1994). On the other hand, cyclocolorenone and maalioxide have been isolated as major components of Jubula japonica i.e., subfam. Jubuloideae (Asakawa et al. 1979); interestingly cyclocolorenone is also widely distributed in the Porellaceae. In contrast, no members of Jubula or Frullania produce paraffinic hydrocarbons which are characteristic for Neohattoria (Inoue et al. 1981), also construed here as a genus of subfam. Jubuloideae.
See also: Chemical diversity
- Links to Other Sites:
- References:
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Last update: Feb 1, 2004
