Fissidens asplenioides
Fissidens amoenus
asplenium fissidens moss
unbranched and sparingly branched;
axillary hyaline nodules weak;
central strand present.
unbranched;
axillary hyaline nodules present;
central strands absent.
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 10 pairs, ligulate to lanceolate, acute, usually apiculate, to 1.8 × 0.25 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent;
vaginant laminae ± 1/2 leaf length, acute, ± unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
margin ± evenly crenulate-serrulate, elimbate except for weak limbidium on proximal parts of vaginant laminae of perichaetial leaves;
costa percurrent to ending as many as 5 cells before apex, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, often strongly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, 8–11 µm, larger and ± oblong juxtacostally in proximal parts of vaginant laminae.
to 6 mm.
to 5 mm.
dioicous;
perigonia and perichaetia on elongate stems;
naked archegonia at times in axils of distal leaves.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous.
theca ± erect, radially symmetric to slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, to 1.5 mm;
peristome taxifolius-type;
operculum ± as long as theca.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.6 mm;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.5 mm.
cucullate, smooth, 1–1.7 µm. Spores 7.5–12 µm.
cucullate, smooth, 0.5 mm.
11–16 µm.
1–2 per perichaetium, orange-red.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens asplenioides
Fissidens amoenus
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.)
A small, attractive species, Fissidens amoenus can be recognized by its distinct laminal cells, crenulate-serrulate leaf margin, large, more or less oblong, pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae, and weak limbidium restricted to the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae of perichaetial leaves. The laminal cells have been described as “inconspicuously 1-papillose” (H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson 1981, as F. hallii), but since that condition is not always present it is perhaps best to regard these cells as strongly bulging.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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