Fissidens elegans
Fissidens amoenus
elegant fissidens moss
unbranched and branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand weak.
unbranched;
axillary hyaline nodules present;
central strands absent.
as many as 12 pairs, oblong to lanceolate, acute to obtuse-apiculate, most ending in a clear, sharp cell, to 1.8 × 0.4 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed or rounded proximally, ending at or before insertion, not decurrent;
vaginant laminae 1/2–2/3 leaf length, unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
margin serrulate, limbate and entire to remotely denticulate on proximal 2/3 or less of vaginant laminae of most leaves of perichaetial stems, often absent from leaves of infertile stems, limbidium intralaminal in part or completely, limbidial cells 1-stratose;
costa ending 2–4 cells before apex or percurrent, ending in apiculus, infrequently short-excurrent, bryoides-type;
lamina cells 1-stratose, pluripapillose, obscure, firm-walled, rounded-hexagonal, 5–8 µm, twice as deep as wide.
as many as 10 pairs, ligulate to lanceolate, acute, usually apiculate, to 1.8 × 0.25 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent;
vaginant laminae ± 1/2 leaf length, acute, ± unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
margin ± evenly crenulate-serrulate, elimbate except for weak limbidium on proximal parts of vaginant laminae of perichaetial leaves;
costa percurrent to ending as many as 5 cells before apex, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, often strongly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, 8–11 µm, larger and ± oblong juxtacostally in proximal parts of vaginant laminae.
to 5 mm.
to 5 mm.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.8 mm;
peristome scariosus-type;
operculum to 0.5 mm.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.6 mm;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.5 mm.
cucullate, smooth, to 0.6 mm.
cucullate, smooth, 0.5 mm.
9–13 µm.
11–16 µm.
1 per perichaetium.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens elegans
Fissidens amoenus
The obscure, pluripapillose lamina cells and leaf apex that terminates in a single, hyaline, sharply pointed cell distinguish Fissidens elegans. The limbidium is quite variable, occurring on the vaginant laminae of most leaves of perichaetial stems to being absent from the leaves of infertile stems. The species is close to F. pallidinervis (see discussion under 26). H. A. Crum and L.E. Anderson (1981) commented on a collection that was possibly made in Lafayette, Wisconsin, a site quite distant from the normal distribution of this species in North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
A small, attractive species, Fissidens amoenus can be recognized by its distinct laminal cells, crenulate-serrulate leaf margin, large, more or less oblong, pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae, and weak limbidium restricted to the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae of perichaetial leaves. The laminal cells have been described as “inconspicuously 1-papillose” (H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson 1981, as F. hallii), but since that condition is not always present it is perhaps best to regard these cells as strongly bulging.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
IL Wildflowers
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