Fissidens scalaris |
Fissidens zollingeri |
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zollinger's fissidens moss |
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Habit | Plants 1.5–6 × 1 mm. | Plants to 5.5 × 3.0 mm. |
Stem | unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules present; central strand present. |
unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand weak or absent. |
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. |
as many as 12 pairs, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, rarely linear-lanceolate, acute or infrequently obtuse, to 2.5 × 0.5 mm; dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent; vaginant laminae ± 1/2 leaf length, equal; margin entire but serrulate distally, limbate on all laminae, limbidium confluent at apex or ending slightly before, limbidial cells 1- or 2-stratose; costa percurrent to short-excurrent, bryoides-type; laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, slightly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, 6.5–18 µm, greatly enlarged, ± oblong, ± pellucid in juxtacostal patches in proximal portions of vaginant laminae. |
Seta | 2–6 mm. |
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Sexual condition | rhizautoicous; perigonia gemmiform, proximal to fertile and infertile stems, and as branches along horizontal parts of stems. |
rhizautoicous and synoicous. |
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. |
theca erect, radially symmetric to slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, 0.5–0.8 mm; peristome scariosus-type; operculum to 0.8 mm. |
Calyptra | cucullate, smooth, to 0.45 mm. |
cucullate, smooth, 0.6 mm. |
Spores | 20–26 µm. |
10–13 µm. |
Sporophytes | 1 per perichaetium. |
1–2 per perichaetium. |
Fissidens scalaris |
Fissidens zollingeri |
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Habitat | Bare, disturbed soil of stream banks and roadsides, loess banks, often more or less buried | Damp calcareous soil and limestone rocks in ravines and woods |
Distribution |
AL; FL; LA; NC; OK; TX; South America |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Asia; Africa |
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.) |
Fissidens zollingeri is best distinguished by its usually palmately arranged leaves, limbidium present on all laminae of the leaf, and juxtacostal patches of enlarged, oblong, pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae. The distal laminal cells are distinct, smooth, and slightly bulging. It is closely related to two other tropical species, F. angustifolius Sullivant and F. yucatanensis Steere, both of which have limbate leaves and groups of enlarged, pellucid cells in the proximal parts of the vaginant laminae. The distal laminal cells of those species, however, are mammillose. Axillary, stalked, multicellular, clavate gemmae have been observed in tropical specimens of F. zollingeri. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 347. | FNA vol. 27, p. 356. |
Parent taxa | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Moenkemeyera neonii, F. neonii | F. kegelianus |
Name authority | Mitten: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 596. (1869) | Montagne: Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 3, 4: 114. (1845) |
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