Fissidens bryoides
Fissidens taylorii
bryoid fissidens moss, lesser pocket-moss
unbranched and branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand usually present.
unbranched;
axillary hyaline nodules present;
central strand 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 9 pairs, lanceolate, acute to obtuse-apiculate, to 0.5–1 × 0.1–0.2 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion or slightly before;
vaginant laminae 1/2–2/3 leaf length, ± unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
margin ± entire, elimbate or irregularly limbate, limbidium best developed on perichaetial and subtending leaves, limbidial cells 1-stratose, infrequently 2-stratose;
costa ending 2–3 cells before apex to percurrent, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, smooth, slightly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, 9–11 µm, many slightly longer than wide.
1.4–10 mm.
2–23.5 mm.
polyoicous;
naked antheridia and archegonia often in axils of distal leaves.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous;
perigonia gemmiform, proximal to infertile and fertile stems, and axillary.
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 ± arcuate, bilaterally symmetric;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.2 mm.
cucullate smooth, to 0.5 mm.
and spores not seen.
10–20 µm.
1–2 per perichaetium.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens bryoides
Fissidens taylorii
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 taylorii, named in honor of the collector of the type specimen, Thomas Taylor, an Irish botanist, has been collected in the United State only twice. It is similar to F. curvatus by virtue of its dimorphic stems and typical bryoides-type peristome, but differs in its shorter costa and weaker limbidium. The limbidium can be quite variable; smaller leaves can be elimbate while larger leaves are limbate on all laminae.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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