Fissidens elegans
Fissidens littlei
elegant fissidens moss
little's fissidens moss
unbranched and branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand weak.
unbranched and sparingly branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand 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 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.
to 5 mm.
1.4–1.8 mm.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous.
rhizautoicous and gonio-autoicous;
perigonia gemmiform and on elongate stems.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.8 mm;
peristome scariosus-type;
operculum to 0.5 mm.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, to 0.5 mm long;
peristome teeth anomalous, undivided, papillose;
operculum to 0.3 mm.
cucullate, smooth, to 0.6 mm.
cucullate, smooth, 0.3 mm.
9–13 µm.
8–11 µm.
1 per perichaetium.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens elegans
Fissidens littlei
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.)
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.)
IL Wildflowers
KS Wildflowers
LA Plants
MO Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
