Studies on Colombian cryptogams. IIB. Hepaticae – Oil body structure and ecological distribution of selected species of tropical Andean Jungermanniales

Oil bodies 7-12 in upper leaf cells, 10-20 in elongated basal leaf cells; globose to ellipsoid, 3-7(-10)x3-5 μm; colourless, coarsely segmented, consisting of c. 15-30 aggregated droplets (Colombia, Boyacá, páramos NW of Belén, Cabeceras Q. El Toral, 3765 m, Cleef 2292e; Ecuador, páramos de El Angel, 17 km. S. of Tulcán, 3350 m, Gradstein, Lanier & Weber s.n.). The presence of segmented oil bodies in Colura patagonica is remarkable because previous studies of living Colura (from Japan) reported homogeneous oil bodies (cf. Schuster & Hattori 1964; Inoue 1974).