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asplenium fissidens moss

fissidens moss, maidenhair pocket-moss

Habit Plants to 250 × 4 mm. Plants to 85 × 5 mm.
Stem

unbranched and sparingly branched;

axillary hyaline nodules weak;

central strand present.

mostly branched;

axillary hyaline nodules absent;

central strand present.

Leaves

in as many as 25 pairs, often undulate, mostly lingulate, rounded to obtuse to broadly acute, sometimes apiculate, to 4 × 0.5 mm;

dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending before or at insertion, not decurrent;

vaginant laminae 1/2–3/4 the leaf length, unequal, minor lamina of most leaves rounded and free distally, or narrowed distally and ending on or near costa;

margin ± entire to crenulate-serrulate, sometimes unevenly so distally, elimbate except for a weak limbidium in the proximal parts of vaginant laminae, limbidial cells 1-stratose;

costa ending several cells before apex, oblongifolius-type, distal part of leaf in transverse section showing enlarged cells arranged in a single row;

laminal cells of dorsal and ventral laminae 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, lenticularly thickened but appearing bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, 7–12 µm long;

juxtacostal and interior proximal cells of vaginant laminae 1-stratose, smooth, plane, quadrate to ± oblong, larger;

medial marginal cells of vaginant laminae ± elongate, oriented obliquely.

as many as 60 pairs, somewhat undulate, oblong to lanceolate, acute, occasionally obtuse, to 3.5 × 1.2 mm;

dorsal lamina rounded or narrowed proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent;

vaginant laminae 1/2–3/5 the leaf length, ± equal, minor lamina ending on or near margin;

margin crenulate to regularly serrulate but irregularly serrate distally, elimbate;

costa ending 2–3 cells before apex to percurrent, taxifolius-type;

laminal cells usually 1-stratose, infrequently and irregularly 2-stratose in the dorsal and ventral laminae, distinct, smooth, ± plane, firm-walled, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, 10–20 µm, 1–5 marginal rows usually thinner with slightly thicker walls, forming a lighter marginal band, juxtacostal cells larger, mostly oblong and pellucid;

vaginant laminal cells somewhat larger.

Seta

to 6 mm.

to 25 mm.

Sexual condition

dioicous;

perigonia and perichaetia on elongate stems;

naked archegonia at times in axils of distal leaves.

dioicous (?);

perigonia not seen;

perichaetia on short axillary branches, generally confined to proximal half of stems.

Capsule

theca ± erect, radially symmetric to slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, to 1.5 mm;

peristome taxifolius-type;

operculum ± as long as theca.

theca mostly ± inclined, ± arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, to 1.5 mm;

peristome taxifolius-type;

operculum to 1.5 mm.

Calyptra

cucullate, smooth, 1–1.7 µm. Spores 7.5–12 µm.

cucullate, smooth, to 2.5 mm.

Spores

13–22 µm.

Sporophyte(s)

1–2 per perichaetium, orange-red.

1 per perichetium.

Fissidens asplenioides

Fissidens adianthoides

Habitat Sandstone ledges and crevices in moist ravines and grottoes, usually along streams and waterfalls Seepage areas, along streams, near waterfalls, meadows, soil, around bases of trees, decaying wood, dripping limestone and sandstone rocks and boulders
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA; KY; LA; MS; NC; SC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Asia; Africa; Atlantic Islands (Macaronesia); Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; CA; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; NB; NF; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Asia; Greenland; Europe; Africa
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Discussion

Fissidens asplenioides, usually a robust species, is recognized by leaves typically curled tightly inward from the tips when dry, a minor lamina that in most leaves is rounded distally and attached more or less only along costa, lenticularly thickened dorsal and ventral laminal cells, elongate medial marginal cells of the vaginant laminae oriented obliquely, and oblongifolius-type costa which in the distal part of the leaf in transverse section shows a single row of enlarged cells. The oblongifolius-type costa, found in F. asplenioides and F. santa-clarensis, is unique to sect. Amblyothallia of subg. Pachyfissidens (R. A. Pursell and M. A. Bruggeman-Nannenga 2004). Subterranean, multicellular, irregularly globose, rhizoidal gemmae have been reported in Macaronesian specimens of F. asplenioides.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The usually 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, plane laminal cells, lighter band of marginal laminal cells, and short perichaetial stems in the axils of proximal leaves distinguish Fissidens adianthoides. The species, nevertheless, can be confused with F. osmundioides, which has similar laminal cells without a marginal band of lighter cells and a serrate leaf apex, but which differs in having terminal perichaetia and papillose rhizoids. Fissidens dubius, which also has short perichaetial stems in the axils of proximal leaves and often a lighter band of marginal laminal cells, differs from F. adianthoides in its smaller and rather obscure laminal cells that are consistently irregularly 2-stratose. Fissidens adianthoides and F. dubius (as F. cristatus), according to cytological evidence presented by L. E. Anderson and V. S. Bryan (1956), are distantly related.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 337. FNA vol. 27, p. 339.
Parent taxa Fissidentaceae > Fissidens Fissidentaceae > Fissidens
Sibling taxa
F. adianthoides, F. amoenus, F. aphelotaxifolius, F. appalachensis, F. arcticus, F. bryoides, F. bushii, F. closteri, F. crispus, F. curvatus, F. dubius, F. elegans, F. exilis, F. fontanus, F. grandifrons, F. hallianus, F. hyalinus, F. leptophyllus, F. littlei, F. minutulus, F. obtusifolius, F. osmundioides, F. pallidinervis, F. pauperculus, F. pellucidus, F. polypodioides, F. santa-clarensis, F. scalaris, F. serratus, F. subbasilaris, F. sublimbatus, F. submarginatus, F. taxifolius, F. taylorii, F. ventricosus, F. zollingeri
F. amoenus, F. aphelotaxifolius, F. appalachensis, F. arcticus, F. asplenioides, F. bryoides, F. bushii, F. closteri, F. crispus, F. curvatus, F. dubius, F. elegans, F. exilis, F. fontanus, F. grandifrons, F. hallianus, F. hyalinus, F. leptophyllus, F. littlei, F. minutulus, F. obtusifolius, F. osmundioides, F. pallidinervis, F. pauperculus, F. pellucidus, F. polypodioides, F. santa-clarensis, F. scalaris, F. serratus, F. subbasilaris, F. sublimbatus, F. submarginatus, F. taxifolius, F. taylorii, F. ventricosus, F. zollingeri
Synonyms F. adianthoides var. immarginatus
Name authority Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 156. (1801) Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 157. (1801)
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