The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Habit Plants 1.5–6 × 1 mm.
Stem

unbranched and branched;

axillary hyaline nodules present;

central strand present.

Leaves

as many as 16 pairs, oblong to lanceolate, acute to short-acuminate, to 1.3 × 0.25 mm;

dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending well above or at insertion;

vaginant laminae ± 4/5 leaf length, ± equal, minor lamina ending on or near margin;

margin ± entire to crenulate-serrulate, limbate on all laminae, limbidium variable, developed best on vaginant laminae, ceasing well before apex, limbidium cells 1-stratose;

costa ending 2–5 cells before apex to percurrent, bryoides-type;

laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, somewhat bulging, firm-walled, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, 9–14 µm, increasing somewhat in size and ± oblong in proximal parts of vaginant laminae.

Seta

2–6 mm.

Sexual condition

rhizautoicous;

perigonia gemmiform, proximal to fertile and infertile stems, and as branches along horizontal parts of stems.

Capsule

theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric, 0.5–1.25 mm;

peristome anomalous, variable, even in same theca, teeth undivided, imperfectly divided or divided 4/5 their length, papillose distally, smooth proximally;

operculum 0.22–0.3 mm.

Calyptra

cucullate, smooth, to 0.45 mm.

Spores

20–26 µm.

Sporophytes

1 per perichaetium.

Fissidens scalaris

Habitat Bare, disturbed soil of stream banks and roadsides, loess banks, often more or less buried
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; LA; NC; OK; TX; South America
Discussion

Fissidens scalaris, although widespread in the southern part of the United States, is infrequently collected. It is best distinguished by its dimorphic stems and undivided to deeply divided, papillose peristome teeth. B. E. Lemmon (1965) published photographs of the development of plants, including perigonial, perichaetial, and infertile stems, and peristome.

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

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 347.
Parent taxa 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. elegans, 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. serratus, F. subbasilaris, F. sublimbatus, F. submarginatus, F. taxifolius, F. taylorii, F. ventricosus, F. zollingeri
Synonyms Moenkemeyera neonii, F. neonii
Name authority Mitten: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 596. (1869)
Web links