Fissidens curvatus |
Fissidentaceae |
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Habit | Plants 1.2–10 × 1–2.5 mm. | Plants tiny to robust. |
Stem | unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules present; central strand weak or absent. |
, except for initial stages, growing from a 2-sided apical cell. |
Leaves | as many as 25 pairs, narrowly lanceolate to ovate–lanceolate, acute to sharply acute to short acuminate, to 1.9 × 0.3; dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending before or at insertion, infrequently ± decurrent; vaginant laminae 1/2–4/5 leaf length, ± equal, minor lamina ending on or near margin; margin entire, limbate on all laminae, limbidium confluent at apex or ending shortly before apex, extending to base of dorsal lamina, limbidial cells 2–3-stratose; costa percurrent to excurrent, bryoides-type; laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, ± bulging, firm-walled, elongate, 7–22 × 4–13 µm, increasing in size toward proximal part of leaf. |
distichous, equitant, complex in form, consisting of two vaginant laminae that clasp the stem, a ventral lamina located above the vaginant laminae, and a dorsal lamina that occupies the length of the leaf opposite the vaginant and ventral laminae; costa single, usually well developed, near center of leaf, sometimes reduced, absent or nearly so. |
Seta | to 12 mm. |
elongate. |
Sexual condition | rhizoautoicous; perigonia gemmiform, proximal to infertile and fertile stems. |
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Capsule | theca exserted, ± erect, radially symmetric to inclined, arcuate, bilaterally symmetic, 0.35–1.25 mm; peristome bryoides-type; operculum 0.25–0.3 µm. Calyptra cucullate, smooth, 0.5 mm. |
cylindric, peristome single, teeth 16, haplolepidous, endostomate, usually divided 1/2–2/3 their length, sometimes irregularly divided or undivided, sometimes reduced, (rarely absent). |
Calyptra | cucullate. |
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Spores | 11–18 µm. |
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Sporophytes | 1 per perichaetium. |
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Fissidens curvatus |
Fissidentaceae |
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Habitat | Bare, shaded soil, often among grasses in open Quercus forests and around bases of coastal shrubs | |
Distribution |
CA; Mexico; South America; West Indies; Europe; Asia; Africa; Pacific Islands (New Caledonia, New Zealand); Australia |
Worldwide; mostly tropics |
Discussion | Fissidens curvatus is distinguished by its delicate dimorphic stems, usually long excurrent costa, limbidium confluent at leaf apex, and slightly elongate laminal cells. The theca is usually arcuate but can also be erect. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Genus 1, species 450 (37 in the flora). Fissidentaceae is recognized easily by its distichous and equitant leaves. This leaf form is closest to that of Bryoxiphium. The hepatic Diplophyllum is often confused with Fissidens. Relationship of the Fissidentaceae is with the Dicranaceae; both families have similar peristomes but differ principally in leaf structure. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 347. | FNA vol. 27, p. 331. |
Parent taxa | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens | |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Synonyms | F. milobakeri | |
Name authority | Hornschuch: Linnaea 15: 148. (1841) | Schimper |
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