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largeleaf fissidens moss

Habit Plants 1.2–10 × 1–2.5 mm. Plants to 100 × 3.5 mm wide.
Stem

unbranched and branched;

axillary hyaline nodules present;

central strand weak or absent.

usually profusely branched;

axillary hyaline nodules present;

central strand absent.

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.

in as many as 60 or more pairs, lanceolate, obtuse to rounded, to 3 × 0.5 mm;

dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion;

vaginant laminae 1/2–2/3 leaf length, acute, equal;

margin ± entire to crenulate, elimbate;

costa usually difficult to discern, ending a few cells before apex, variable in structure, basically taxifolius-type;

lamina cells 1- to 4-stratose at leaf margin, 2- to pluristratose in interior of dorsal and ventral laminae, 1- to 4-stratose in vaginant laminae, smooth, ± plain, quadrate to hexagonal, 7–13 µm long.

Seta

to 12 mm.

13–19 mm.

Sexual condition

rhizoautoicous;

perigonia gemmiform, proximal to infertile and fertile stems.

dioicous (?);

perigonia not seen;

perichaetia on short axillary branches in medial leaves.

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.

theca slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, astomatose, exothecial cells quadrate to oblong, vertical walls thicker than horizontal walls, 1.5–2 mm;

peristome taxifolius-type.

Calyptra

cucullate, smooth, 0.5 mm.

Spores

11–18 µm.

20–23 µm.

Sporophytes

1 per perichaetium.

Fissidens curvatus

Fissidens grandifrons

Habitat Bare, shaded soil, often among grasses in open Quercus forests and around bases of coastal shrubs Submerged in rapidly running water in calcareous sites
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico; South America; West Indies; Europe; Asia; Africa; Pacific Islands (New Caledonia, New Zealand); Australia
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; ID; IL; KY; MI; MO; MT; NY; OR; TN; UT; VA; WA; WY; AB; BC; ON; Mexico; Central America; Europe; Asia
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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.)

Fissidens grandifrons is the only species in the flora area with pluristratose laminal cells. It is a robust aquatic species, usually coarse to the touch. The plants are often brown-black, the result of deposition of organic matter. Reproduction in North America, where sporophytes have never been found, is by vegetative means. According to E. J. Hill (1902), multiplication is by small, radiculose branches that are easily detached in the rapidly running streams. Although the gametophyte of F. grandifrons is specialized to an aquatic habitat (thick, lanceolate leaves and long archegonia; Z. Iwatsuki and T. Suzuki 1982; R. A. Pursell and B. H. Allen 1994), the species has retained a distinctly terrestrial type of sporophyte. The description of the sporophyte given here is based on three specimens: Lai 8699 (NY) and Lin 12831 (NICH) from Taiwan; and Higuchi 20161 (NICH) from Pakistan. A. J. Grout (1943) stated that the operculum is “conic-rostrate, about 1 mm long,” and Iwatsuki and Suzuki reported that the calyptra is “cucullate, about 1.6 mm long, smooth.”

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

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 347. FNA vol. 27, p. 343.
Parent taxa Fissidentaceae > Fissidens Fissidentaceae > Fissidens
Sibling taxa
F. adianthoides, F. amoenus, F. aphelotaxifolius, F. appalachensis, F. arcticus, F. asplenioides, F. bryoides, F. bushii, F. closteri, F. crispus, 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. 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
Synonyms F. milobakeri Pachyfissidens grandifrons
Name authority Hornschuch: Linnaea 15: 148. (1841) Bridel: Muscol. Recent., suppl. 1: 170. (1806)
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