Fissidens grandifrons
Fissidens taylorii
largeleaf fissidens moss
usually profusely branched;
axillary hyaline nodules present;
central strand absent.
unbranched;
axillary hyaline nodules present;
central strand absent.
in as many as 60 or more pairs, lanceolate, obtuse to rounded, to 3 × 0.5 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion;
vaginant laminae 1/2–2/3 leaf length, acute, equal;
margin ± entire to crenulate, elimbate;
costa usually difficult to discern, ending a few cells before apex, variable in structure, basically taxifolius-type;
lamina cells 1- to 4-stratose at leaf margin, 2- to pluristratose in interior of dorsal and ventral laminae, 1- to 4-stratose in vaginant laminae, smooth, ± plain, quadrate to hexagonal, 7–13 µm long.
as many as 9 pairs, lanceolate, acute to obtuse-apiculate, to 0.5–1 × 0.1–0.2 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion or slightly before;
vaginant laminae 1/2–2/3 leaf length, ± unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
margin ± entire, elimbate or irregularly limbate, limbidium best developed on perichaetial and subtending leaves, limbidial cells 1-stratose, infrequently 2-stratose;
costa ending 2–3 cells before apex to percurrent, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, smooth, slightly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, 9–11 µm, many slightly longer than wide.
13–19 mm.
2–23.5 mm.
dioicous (?);
perigonia not seen;
perichaetia on short axillary branches in medial leaves.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous;
perigonia gemmiform, proximal to infertile and fertile stems, and axillary.
theca slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, astomatose, exothecial cells quadrate to oblong, vertical walls thicker than horizontal walls, 1.5–2 mm;
peristome taxifolius-type.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric to ± arcuate, bilaterally symmetric;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.2 mm.
and spores not seen.
20–23 µm.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens grandifrons
Fissidens taylorii
Fissidens grandifrons is the only species in the flora area with pluristratose laminal cells. It is a robust aquatic species, usually coarse to the touch. The plants are often brown-black, the result of deposition of organic matter. Reproduction in North America, where sporophytes have never been found, is by vegetative means. According to E. J. Hill (1902), multiplication is by small, radiculose branches that are easily detached in the rapidly running streams. Although the gametophyte of F. grandifrons is specialized to an aquatic habitat (thick, lanceolate leaves and long archegonia; Z. Iwatsuki and T. Suzuki 1982; R. A. Pursell and B. H. Allen 1994), the species has retained a distinctly terrestrial type of sporophyte. The description of the sporophyte given here is based on three specimens: Lai 8699 (NY) and Lin 12831 (NICH) from Taiwan; and Higuchi 20161 (NICH) from Pakistan. A. J. Grout (1943) stated that the operculum is “conic-rostrate, about 1 mm long,” and Iwatsuki and Suzuki reported that the calyptra is “cucullate, about 1.6 mm long, smooth.”
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Fissidens taylorii, named in honor of the collector of the type specimen, Thomas Taylor, an Irish botanist, has been collected in the United State only twice. It is similar to F. curvatus by virtue of its dimorphic stems and typical bryoides-type peristome, but differs in its shorter costa and weaker limbidium. The limbidium can be quite variable; smaller leaves can be elimbate while larger leaves are limbate on all laminae.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
CalFlora
Flora NW
IL Wildflowers
MI Flora
MO Plants
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
