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little's fissidens moss

Habit Plants 1.2–10 × 1–2.5 mm. Plants to 3 × 2 mm.
Stem

unbranched and branched;

axillary hyaline nodules present;

central strand weak or absent.

unbranched and sparingly branched;

axillary hyaline nodules absent;

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.

as many as 8 pairs, ligulate, obtuse-apiculate to acute, to 1.5 × 0.25 mm;

dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion or slightly decurrent;

vaginant laminae 1/2–2/3 leaf length, ± equal, minor lamina ending on or near margin;

margin crenulate, often irregularly so on vaginant laminae, elimbate;

costa ending 3–5 cells before apex, bryoides-type;

lamina cells 1-stratose, distinct, mammillose, firm-walled, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, oblate on margin, 8–10 µm, somewhat larger, ± oblong in proximal parts of vaginant laminae.

Seta

to 12 mm.

1.4–1.8 mm.

Sexual condition

rhizoautoicous;

perigonia gemmiform, proximal to infertile and fertile stems.

rhizautoicous and gonio-autoicous;

perigonia gemmiform and on elongate stems.

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 exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.5 mm long;

peristome teeth anomalous, undivided, papillose;

operculum to 0.3 mm.

Calyptra

cucullate, smooth, 0.5 mm.

cucullate, smooth, 0.3 mm.

Spores

11–18 µm.

8–11 µm.

Sporophytes

1 per perichaetium.

1 per perichaetium.

Fissidens curvatus

Fissidens littlei

Habitat Bare, shaded soil, often among grasses in open Quercus forests and around bases of coastal shrubs Walls of small pockets in gypsum sinkholes
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico; South America; West Indies; Europe; Asia; Africa; Pacific Islands (New Caledonia, New Zealand); Australia
from FNA
NM
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.)

This rare Fissidens, named in honor of the American botanist Elbert Little, is known only from the type locality and was recently re-discovered there by K. W. Allred (1998). The plants are pale green, probably the result of their occurrence in small pocketlike depressions where direct sunlight does not penetrate. The species has been confused with F. amoenus, but differs from the latter by its elimbate leaves, slightly smaller, mammillose laminal cells, oblate marginal cells, absence of enlarged pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae, and undivided, papillose peristome teeth.

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

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 347. FNA vol. 27, p. 354.
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. grandifrons, F. hallianus, F. hyalinus, F. leptophyllus, 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 Moenkemeyera littlei
Name authority Hornschuch: Linnaea 15: 148. (1841) (R. S. Williams) Grout: Moss Fl. N. Amer. 1: 249. (1939)
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