Fissidens bryoides
Fissidens amoenus
bryoid fissidens moss, lesser pocket-moss
unbranched and branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand usually present.
unbranched;
axillary hyaline nodules present;
central strands absent.
as many as 20 pairs, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or oblong-lingulate, acute to short-acuminate or obtuse-apiculate, to 0.8–2.7 × 0.2–0.5 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at or before insertion, infrequently slightly decurrent;
vaginant laminae 1/2 leaf length, mostly equal;
margin entire but often serrulate distally, limbate on all laminae, limbidium reaching apex or ending a few cells before or partially absent to infrequently completely absent, limbidial cells 1–3-stratose;
costa excurrent to ending as many as 6 cells before apex, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, often slightly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, a few elongate, 6.5–16 µm, somewhat larger in proximal parts of vaginant laminae.
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.
1.4–10 mm.
to 5 mm.
polyoicous;
naked antheridia and archegonia often in axils of distal leaves.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric to ± inclined, bilaterally symmetic, 0.2–1.2 mm;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.5 mm.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.6 mm;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.5 mm.
cucullate smooth, to 0.5 mm.
cucullate, smooth, 0.5 mm.
10–20 µm.
11–16 µm.
1–2 per perichaetium.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens bryoides
Fissidens amoenus
Fissidens bryoides is a veritable kaleidoscope of intergrading expressions. At one extreme is F. bryoides in the strict sense, with plants gonioautoicous and the limbidium, 1–3 cells thick, confluent at the leaf apex with the percurrent to short-excurrent costa. At the other extreme is the expression that has been singled out as F. exiguus, with plants rhizautoicous and the 1-stratose limbidium usually restricted to the vaginant laminae of perichaetial leaves. In rare cases the limbidium can be absent from all leaves. All expressions, however, have clear, distinct, 1-stratose, irregularly hexagonal laminal cells, 6.5–16 µm, that in transverse section are no deeper than wide, and that have smooth walls that can be slightly bulging. H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson (1981) illustrated the major expressions found in the flora area. Axillary, multicellular gemmae have been reported in Indian specimens.
(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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