Anomodon attenuatus
Anomodon viticulosus
anomodon moss, poodle moss
anomodon moss
1.5–3 cm, 0.8–1 mm thick when dry, profusely branched, irregularly pinnate, primary branches prostrate to arcuate, mostly attenuate, secondary branches attenuate at apices;
central strand cells not differentiated;
pseudoparaphyllia absent;
rhizoids somewhat abundant.
6–8+ cm, 1–1.8 mm thick when dry, somewhat branched, primary branches erect-ascending to arcuate;
central strand cells not differentiated;
pseudoparaphyllia absent;
rhizoids few.
appressed when dry, complanate when moist, ligulate, slightly narrowed mid leaf, 1.2–2(–2.2) mm;
base broadly decurrent;
margins plane, entire from base to apex (cells moderately mammillose at insertion), sometimes denticulate near apex;
apex acute, sometimes obtuse or slightly apiculate, intact;
costa strong, sharply ending a few cells before apex, sometimes fading in youngest leaves, not obscured by laminal cells distally, pellucid, abaxial costa cells smooth;
basal laminal cells hyaline or sometimes chlorophyllose, papillae few, region sometimes extending more than 1/2 length of leaf base;
distal cells quadrate, 6–8 µm, papillae many, branched.
erect when dry, secund, somewhat flexuose, spreading to reflexed when moist, oblong-ligulate, 2.2–4 mm;
base broadly decurrent;
margins plane, entire;
apex obtuse, rounded, or sometimes acute, intact;
costa strong, ending sharply before apex, occasionally obscured by laminal cells distally, rarely asymmetrically 2-fid at end, pellucid, lighter green, abaxial costa cells papillose, papillae thick, in rows;
basal laminal cells hyaline, papilla 1, region barely extending beyond 1/4 length of leaf base;
medial and distal cells hexagonal, 8–12 µm, papillae many, branched.
1–1.5 cm.
oblong, urn 1.6–2.8 mm;
stomata at base;
annulus not differentiated;
operculum obliquely short-rostrate, 1.3 mm;
exostome teeth irregular, 0.3 mm, striolate proximally, trabeculate and ± finely papillose towards apex;
endostome basal membrane 3 or 4 cells high, segments well developed.
long-elliptic, urn (1.7–)2–3.1(–3.3) mm;
stomata absent;
annulus well differentiated;
operculum obliquely rostrate, 0.7–1 mm;
exostome teeth irregular, 0.3–0.5 mm, nearly smooth, faintly striolate, not trabeculate, papillae inconspicuous toward apex;
endostome basal membrane 2–4 cells high, segments moderately developed.
10–13 µm, densely papillose.
very variable in diam. between capsules, in some (19–)20–23(–25) µm, in others 15–16 µm, densely papillose].
never beyond last branching points, leaves abruptly narrowed, costa to beyond mid leaf, ending near apex in most interior leaves, laminal cells smooth.
borne distally from last branching points, leaves similar to vegetative leaves, costa ending closer to apex, laminal cells papillose.
Anomodon attenuatus
Anomodon viticulosus
Anomodon attenuatus is a rather polymorphic species producing abundant sporophytes in North America. The attenuate branches, sometimes arcuate and seldom ascending, are distinctive. However, this character is sometimes lacking; in some specimens the branch apices become slightly capitate and incurved. Robust plants of A. attenuatus might be mistaken for those of A. viticulosus as both have acute leaf apices. They can be distinguished by their branch morphology: prostrate and complanate in A. attenuatus, ascending and robust in A. viticulosus. Also, the leaf shape is different in both species: lanceolate and with no constriction in A. attenuatus, broadly ligulate, abruptly narrowed from a broadly ovate base in A. viticulosus. The costa in A. attenuatus also lacks the thick, aligned papillae on the dorsal surface. A consistent character in fertile plants is the absence of gametangia beyond the most recent branching points (they are never formed in the youngest branches). The branching pattern is often of several orders of successive branching, in stepwise fashion; the endostome is papillose.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Anomodon viticulosus is the most robust species of the genus, forming thick mats on rocks and sometimes on tree trunks. The robust habit and thickness distinguish it from other species. When depauperate, A. viticulosus is distinguished from A. rugelii by its falcate-secund leaves, decurrent and tapering from the shoulders toward the apex; A. rugelii has leaves incurved when dry, lingulate beyond the shoulders, with characteristic auricles at the insertion. Unlike those of A. minor or A. rugelii, the apex of A. viticulosus is never rounded, nor are its terminal branches complanate. Anomodon viticulosus is sometimes mistaken for A. attenuatus; the latter has more prostrate stems and profuse branching in a pattern of successive orders of branching, with the terminal branches attenuate, complanate, crowded, and somewhat fasciculate. Anomodon viticulosus seldom fruits in North America (only one fruiting specimen seen) or Asia, most likely because of the lack of male gametophytes in these regions (Í. Granzow-de la Cerda 1989). Only one North American specimen was seen with sporophytes; the description is from European and Asian material.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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