Fissidens fontanus
Fissidens sublimbatus
fissidens moss, water pocket moss
fissidens moss
usually profusely branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand absent.
usually branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand present.
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.
as many as 22 pairs, ovate to lanceolate, rounded to obtuse-apiculate, apiculus formed of a single, clear, sharp cell, to 1 × 0.1–0.4 mm, perichaetial and larger leaves oblong to oblong-ligulate and lanceolate;
dorsal lamina usually narrowed abruptly proximally, often arched, ending well before insertion;
vaginant laminae 1/2–3/4 leaf length, ± equal, minor lamina ending on or near margin;
margin ± entire but serrulate distally, elimbate or limbate, limbidium 1-stratose, restricted to vaginant laminae or found to variable degrees on all laminae, often conspicuously intralaminal in proximal parts of vaginant laminae;
costa ending 2–5 cells before apex or percurrent, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, smooth, strongly bulging, ± obscure, usually arranged in discernable rows distally, firm-walled, 6–10 µm, twice as deep as wide.
0.5–0.6 mm.
to 5 mm.
gonioautoicous and cladautoicous;
perigonia and perichaetia on short axillary branches, 1–5 per leaf axil, sometimes on elongate, axillary branches.
cladautoicous, gonioautoicous, and possibly rhizautoicous.
theca 0.5–0.6 mm, erect, radially symmetric;
peristome anomalous, irregularly divided, ± incomplete, often truncate, papillose;
operculum as long as seta.
theca exserted, slightly inclined, bilaterally symmetric to erect, radially symmetric, to 1 mm;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.3 mm.
mitrate, smooth.
cucullate, smooth, 0.6 mm.
18–27 µm.
14–23 µm.
1–5 per leaf axil, inconspicuous.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens fontanus
Fissidens sublimbatus
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.)
Fissidens sublimbatus is closely allied to F. crispus but is restricted to arid habitats. Indeed, it appears to be the only species of the genus found in Death Valley. Stems of F. sublimbatus are dimorphic, unlike the monomorphic stems of F. crispus. Leaves of infertile stems are small, ovate-lanceolate and usually apiculate, the apiculus formed by a single, clear, sharp cell. The dorsal lamina in these leaves usually ends well before the insertion, are often arched, and the limbidium is most often restricted to the vaginant laminae but can be absent. The 1-stratose limbidium is best developed on perichaetial and larger leaves, but ends below the leaf apex and is usually edged by distinctly chlorophyllose cells. The percurrent costa occurs mostly in perichaetial leaves. As in F. crispus, the distal laminal cells are arranged in distinct rows.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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