Takakiales
| Takakia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Bryophyta |
| Class: |
Takakiopsida Stech & W. Frey |
| Order: |
Takakiales Stech & W. Frey |
| Family: |
Takakiaceae Stech & W. Frey |
| Genus: |
Takakia S. Hatt. & Inoue |
| Species | |
T. ceratophylla
T. lepidozioides
Takakia is a genus of two species of mosses known from western North America and central and eastern Asia. The genus is placed as a separate family, order and class among the mosses. It has had a history of uncertain placement, but the discovery of sporophytes clearly of the moss-type firmly supports placement with the mosses.
Takakia was discovered in the Himalayas and described by Mitten in 1861. It was originally described simply as a new liverwort species (Lepidozia ceratophylla) within an existing genus, and it was thus long overlooked. The discovery of similar odd plants in the mid-20th century by Dr. Takaki in Japan sparked more interest. The many unusual features of these plants led to the establishment in 1958 of the species Takakia lepidozioides, in a new genus Takakia, named to honor the man who rediscovered it and recognized its unique characteristics. The species originally described by Mitten was subsequently recognized by Grolle as belonging to this new genus, and accordingly renamed Takakia ceratophylla.
All of the plants originally collected lacked any reproductive structures; they were sterile gametophyte plants. Eventually, plants with archegonia were found, which resembled the archegonia found in mosses. Fertile plants bearing antheridia and sporophytes were first reported in 1993 from the Aleutian Islands, and both structures were clearly of the form found in primitive mosses. This discovery established Takakia as a genus of moss, albeit an unusual one.
In Asia, Takakia has since been found in Sikkim (in the Himalayas), North Borneo, Taiwan, and Japan. In North America, the genus is found in the Aleutian Islands and British Columbia. It occurs in a variety of local habitats, from bare rock, to moist humus, and grows at elevations ranging from sea level to the subalpine.
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Wikipedia