Fissidens bryoides
Fissidens pauperculus
bryoid fissidens moss, lesser pocket-moss
fissidens moss, poor pocket moss
unbranched and branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand usually present.
unbranched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strands weak.
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 5 pairs, oblong to oblanceolate to lanceolate, acute to short-acuminate, to 2.1 × 0.6 mm;
margin crenulate-serrulate but often sharply serrate on distal parts of vaginant laminae, elimbate;
dorsal lamina usually narrowed proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent;
vaginant laminae ± 1/2–2/3 leaf length, unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
costa ending 6–15 cells before apex, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, plane, firm-walled, long-hexagonal to oblong to regularly quadrate, decreasing in size from costa to margin, medial cells 10–54 × 12–25 µm, largest along costa, marginal cells 9–15 µm, juxtacostal cells in vaginant laminae pellucid, greatly enlarged.
1.4–10 mm.
2.5–5 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, usually inclined, slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, infrequently erect, nearly radially symmetric, 0.7 mm;
peristome scariosus-type;
operculum 0.3–0.8 mm.
cucullate smooth, to 0.5 mm.
cucullate, smooth, 0.4 mm.
10–20 µm.
9–13 µm.
1–2 per perichaetium.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens bryoides
Fissidens pauperculus
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.)
Fissidens pauperculus is distinguished by its short costa, and smooth, plane laminal cells that gradually decrease in size outwardly. P. A. Florschütz (1964) equated specimens from Suriname with this species. R. A. Pursell (1994b) demonstrated, however, that the North American plants are different from those of South America. Although close to the South American plants that belong to F. inaequalis Mitten, the North American species differs by its slightly smaller laminal cells and in the absence of truncate-retuse vaginant laminae in the perichaetial leaves.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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