Studies on Hepaticae LXVI - Lepidoziaceae subfamily Zoopsidoideae (3): Zoopsidella

One of the most highly specialized genera of Zoopsidoideae is revised: Zoop sidella Schust. (with 8 spp. in 3 subgenera, Hyalolepidoziopsis Schust., Hy pozoopsis Schust., Zoopsidella Schust.). Within Zoopsidella and its allies, Monodactylopsis and Pteropsiella, we see repeated reduction (from a "gener alized" stem with 12 cortical + numerous medullary cell rows to a highly de rivative one, with 4 cortical + 1 medullary cell rows). Unlike in some othe r subfamilies land general of Lepidoziaceae (i.a., Lepidozioideae, Bazzanio ideae, Micropterygioideae, Lembidioideae), as well as Zoopsis, in which - w ith rare exceptions-unisexuality prevails; in Zoopsidella almost all taxa a re autoecious (one even exists as a paroecious subspecies), aside from Z. i ntegrifolia. All taxa treated, even the most robust, have a reduced (8+4-se riate) seta anatomy. Within the genus there is evolution from malleable bra nching modes to, more usually, ramification via only ventral-intercalary br anches. These two features - or phylogenetic tendencies - seperate Zoopside lla (as well as Pteropsiella and Monodactylopsis) from Zoopsis. A third "te ndency" exists: oil-bodies, within Zoopsidella, show a tendency to become s maller and fewer and, ultimately, to become vestigial on lacking in many or most cells. Such tendencies fail to exist in other Zoopsidoideae known fro m living plants.