Fissidens scalaris
Fissidens pauperculus
fissidens moss, poor pocket moss
unbranched and branched;
axillary hyaline nodules present;
central strand present.
unbranched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strands weak.
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.
as many as 5 pairs, oblong to oblanceolate to lanceolate, acute to short-acuminate, to 2.1 × 0.6 mm;
margin crenulate-serrulate but often sharply serrate on distal parts of vaginant laminae, elimbate;
dorsal lamina usually narrowed proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent;
vaginant laminae ± 1/2–2/3 leaf length, unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
costa ending 6–15 cells before apex, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, plane, firm-walled, long-hexagonal to oblong to regularly quadrate, decreasing in size from costa to margin, medial cells 10–54 × 12–25 µm, largest along costa, marginal cells 9–15 µm, juxtacostal cells in vaginant laminae pellucid, greatly enlarged.
2–6 mm.
2.5–5 mm.
rhizautoicous;
perigonia gemmiform, proximal to fertile and infertile stems, and as branches along horizontal parts of stems.
rhizautoicous and gonioautoicous.
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.
theca exserted, usually inclined, slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, infrequently erect, nearly radially symmetric, 0.7 mm;
peristome scariosus-type;
operculum 0.3–0.8 mm.
cucullate, smooth, to 0.45 mm.
cucullate, smooth, 0.4 mm.
20–26 µm.
9–13 µm.
1 per perichaetium.
1 per perichaetium.
Fissidens scalaris
Fissidens pauperculus
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.)
Fissidens pauperculus is distinguished by its short costa, and smooth, plane laminal cells that gradually decrease in size outwardly. P. A. Florschütz (1964) equated specimens from Suriname with this species. R. A. Pursell (1994b) demonstrated, however, that the North American plants are different from those of South America. Although close to the South American plants that belong to F. inaequalis Mitten, the North American species differs by its slightly smaller laminal cells and in the absence of truncate-retuse vaginant laminae in the perichaetial leaves.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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