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elegant fissidens moss

fissidens moss, water pocket moss

Habit Plants to 5.5 × 2 mm. Plants to 120 × 6 mm.
Stem

unbranched and branched;

axillary hyaline nodules absent;

central strand weak.

usually profusely branched;

axillary hyaline nodules absent;

central strand absent.

Leaves

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.

in numerous pairs, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, frequently somewhat falcate, acute, to 7 × 0.6 mm;

dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, usually ending before insertion;

vaginant laminae 1/3–1/2 the leaf length, unequal, minor lamina usually rounded and free distally or narrowed and ending on or near costa;

margin ± entire, elimbate;

costa ending 15–35 cells before apex, bryoides-type;

laminal cells usually 1-stratose, sometimes 2-stratose juxtacostally, quadrate to short-oblong to hexagonal, smooth, slightly bulging, ± firm-walled, 15–23 × 10–18 µm in dorsal and ventral laminae, juxtacostal cells largest.

Seta

to 5 mm.

0.5–0.6 mm.

Sexual condition

rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous.

gonioautoicous and cladautoicous;

perigonia and perichaetia on short axillary branches, 1–5 per leaf axil, sometimes on elongate, axillary branches.

Capsule

theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.8 mm;

peristome scariosus-type;

operculum to 0.5 mm.

theca 0.5–0.6 mm, erect, radially symmetric;

peristome anomalous, irregularly divided, ± incomplete, often truncate, papillose;

operculum as long as seta.

Calyptra

cucullate, smooth, to 0.6 mm.

mitrate, smooth.

Spores

9–13 µm.

18–27 µm.

Sporophytes

1 per perichaetium.

1–5 per leaf axil, inconspicuous.

Fissidens elegans

Fissidens fontanus

Habitat Sandy and clayey soils along roadsides and streams, banks of ravines, bluffs, loess banks, uprooted tree roots, trunks of trees, decaying stumps, sandstone Attached to various substrata in stagnant and flowing water, and in coastal estuaries
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MO; MS; OH; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
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from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WA; WI; WV; BC; ON; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; Europe; Africa
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Discussion

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.)

Fissidens fontanus and F. hallianus are aquatic species usually found in stagnant or slow moving water, but at times emergent because of fluctuating water levels (H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson 1981; P. G. Davison and D. E. Wujek 1999). Plants of both species are usually profusely branched, delicate, and feathery in appearance with leaves often 10 times or more as long as wide. Often plants are encrusted with diatoms. Stems and leaves might also appear black due to deposition of organic matter. When dry the leaves are unusually fragile so that when being prepared for herbarium storage it is best to float plants onto sheets prior to drying.

A suite of gametophytic and sporophytic characters distinguishes Fissidens fontanus. The unequal vaginant laminae are about 1/4–1/3 the leaf length, and minor lamina is round and more or less free distally. In addition, costa ends well below the leaf apex. In fertile specimens, the clusters of 1–5 axillary, inconspicuous, dark sporophytes in each perichaetium are distinctive. The sporophytes, more prevalent than thought, are caducous and are often found in the bottom of the herbarium packets. The short seta is equal in length to that of operculum, and peristome teeth are greatly reduced, often consisting of only the truncated, undivided basal parts.

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

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 350. 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. curvatus, F. dubius, 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. 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
Synonyms F. ravenelii Skitophyllum fontanum, Octodiceras julianum var. ohioense, F. debilis, F. julianus
Name authority Bridel: Muscol. Recent., suppl. 1: 167. (1806) (Bachelot de la Pylaie) Steudel: Nomencl. Bot. 2: 166. (1824)
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