IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (IOSR-JPBS) e-ISSN:2278-3008, p-ISSN:2319-7676. Volume 13, Issue 1 Ver. III (Jan. – Feb. 2018), PP 01-05 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/3008-1301030105 www.iosrjournals.org 1 | Page Are The Fruiting And Non-Fruiting Acrocarpous Moss Barbula indica (Hooker) Sprengel in Nigeria Distinct Species? A. Egunyomi 1 , O.O. Oyesiku 2 *, A.O. Bolaji 3 1 Department of Botany, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria 2 Department of Plant Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria 3 Botany Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria *Correspondence Author: O.O. Oyesiku Abstract: Barbula indica (Pottiaceae), a dioecious acrocarpous moss had never been found with sporophytes in Nigeria. The occurrence of fruiting B. indica from two populations in the Nigerian forest and derived savanna is reported for the first time. Aspects of the morphological characters of fruiting and non-fruiting plants were compared to ascertain if they are distinct species or not. The leaf and costa length were not significantly different in both types of plants. The ratios mean leaf length : mean leaf width, costa length : leaf length and apical cell size were higher in non-fruiting than in fruiting shoots. However basal and median cell lengths were higher in fruiting than non-fruiting samples. Mean shoot lengths in fruiting plants were 8.8 + 2.946 mm and 9.6 + 2.330 mm in non-fruiting samples. Non-fruiting shoots produced more axillary gemmae than fruiting ones. As all of these vegetative differences are within the morphological range of Barbula indica the fruiting and non-fruiting shoots are not distinct species. Keywords: Barbula indica moss, fruiting, non-fruiting, Nigeria. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 09-01-2018 Date of acceptance: 26-01-2018 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction Pottiaceae is an acrocarpous moss family recognized by its papillose, filamentous single ring of 16 peristome teeth (haplolepidous), which could be either erect or spirally twisted and laminar cells being quadrate papillose [1] [2]. The Pottiaceae family is widely distributed almost throughout the whole world – Africa, North America, Asia, Colombia Japan, Korea, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines and Seychelles, ranging from low to high altitude areas. They are well adapted to varying climatic conditions and topographic features. In fact, [3] described the Pottiaceae as “mosses of harsh environments”. Barbula Hedw. represents the largest genus of the Pottiaceae and recently suggested to be polyphyletic [4]. Although Barbula is dioecious and many species are known to produce sporophytes, many other species have been reported as not having been seen with sporophytes. As an example, in South Africa, whereas Barbula crinita, B. calycina, B. microcalycina and B. rehmannii produce sporophytes or are fruiting species, [5] reported that sporophytes were unknown in Barbula acutata and B. horschuchiana. Also B. eubryum, which produced sporophytes in Uganda, was non-fruiting in South Africa [5]. The foregoing examples show that variations occur in the fruiting and non-fruiting habits of Barbula species. In Nigeria, Barbula indica (formerly B. lambarenensis) is an urban moss found in open and partially shaded habitats on road side concrete gutters, rock crevices, moist concrete blocks and rotten logs. It often shares niches with Bryum, Hyophila and Cyathodium (liverwort). In all previous gatherings of Barbula in Nigeria fruiting shoots were never encountered. Indeed, [6] reported that Barbula lambarenensis (synonym: B. indica) a species widely distributed in West Africa, did not produce sporophytes but spreads by means of gemmae. Recently, fruiting Barbula was first collected on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (Oyesiku 40). The second fruiting collection was fortuitously made at the campus of Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye Nigeria. (Oyesiku 41). Although the two fruiting samples were tentatively identified as B. indica. They could in all probability be a different Barbula species such as B. consanguinea, which [7] claimed to be found in Nigeria, but reduced to the synonymy of B. javanica a species not growing in Africa [8]. On the other hand, the fruiting samples might be the same species as B. indica. In the light of this, aspects of the morphological features of the fruiting and non-fruiting Barbula indica were comparatively studied. This was with a view to ascertaining whether they are distinct species or not. II. Materials And Methods 2.1 Collection and identification of samples Fruiting and non-fruiting populations of Barbula indica were collected from Obafemi Awolowo University (Lat 7 o 31′ 15″N, Long 4 o 31′ 49″E) derived savanna zone and Olabisi Onabanjo University (Lat 6 o 57′