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asplenium fissidens moss

little's fissidens moss

Habit Plants to 250 × 4 mm. Plants to 3 × 2 mm.
Stem

unbranched and sparingly branched;

axillary hyaline nodules weak;

central strand present.

unbranched and sparingly branched;

axillary hyaline nodules absent;

central strand absent.

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 8 pairs, ligulate, obtuse-apiculate to acute, to 1.5 × 0.25 mm;

dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion or slightly decurrent;

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

margin crenulate, often irregularly so on vaginant laminae, elimbate;

costa ending 3–5 cells before apex, bryoides-type;

lamina cells 1-stratose, distinct, mammillose, firm-walled, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, oblate on margin, 8–10 µm, somewhat larger, ± oblong in proximal parts of vaginant laminae.

Seta

to 6 mm.

1.4–1.8 mm.

Sexual condition

dioicous;

perigonia and perichaetia on elongate stems;

naked archegonia at times in axils of distal leaves.

rhizautoicous and gonio-autoicous;

perigonia gemmiform and on elongate stems.

Capsule

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 0.5 mm long;

peristome teeth anomalous, undivided, papillose;

operculum to 0.3 mm.

Calyptra

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

cucullate, smooth, 0.3 mm.

Spores

8–11 µm.

Sporophytes

1–2 per perichaetium, orange-red.

1 per perichaetium.

Fissidens asplenioides

Fissidens littlei

Habitat Sandstone ledges and crevices in moist ravines and grottoes, usually along streams and waterfalls Walls of small pockets in gypsum sinkholes
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
NM
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.)

This rare Fissidens, named in honor of the American botanist Elbert Little, is known only from the type locality and was recently re-discovered there by K. W. Allred (1998). The plants are pale green, probably the result of their occurrence in small pocketlike depressions where direct sunlight does not penetrate. The species has been confused with F. amoenus, but differs from the latter by its elimbate leaves, slightly smaller, mammillose laminal cells, oblate marginal cells, absence of enlarged pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae, and undivided, papillose peristome teeth.

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

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 337. FNA vol. 27, p. 354.
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. adianthoides, 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. 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 Moenkemeyera littlei
Name authority Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 156. (1801) (R. S. Williams) Grout: Moss Fl. N. Amer. 1: 249. (1939)
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