Fissidens subbasilaris
Fissidens bryoides
fissidens moss
bryoid fissidens moss, lesser pocket-moss
branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand present.
unbranched and branched;
axillary hyaline nodules absent;
central strand usually present.
as many as 28 pairs, sometimes ± undulate, oblong, obtuse-apiculate to acute, to 2.4 × 0.3–0.4 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending before or at insertion;
vaginant laminae 1/2–2/3 leaf length, acute, ± unequal, minor lamina ending near margin;
margin evenly crenulate-serrulate but irregularly serrate distally;
costa ending 6–16 cells before apex, covered and obscured above by chlorophyllose cells, taxifolius-type;
lamina cells irregularly 2-stratose, smooth, bulging, firm-walled, irregularly rounded-hexagonal, 7.5–10 µm. Sexual condition gonioautoicous and cladautoicous;
perigonia gemmiform, axillary, and on short branches;
perichaetia on short axillary branches near proximal ends of stem.
as many as 20 pairs, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or oblong-lingulate, acute to short-acuminate or obtuse-apiculate, to 0.8–2.7 × 0.2–0.5 mm;
dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending at or before insertion, infrequently slightly decurrent;
vaginant laminae 1/2 leaf length, mostly equal;
margin entire but often serrulate distally, limbate on all laminae, limbidium reaching apex or ending a few cells before or partially absent to infrequently completely absent, limbidial cells 1–3-stratose;
costa excurrent to ending as many as 6 cells before apex, bryoides-type;
laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, often slightly bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, a few elongate, 6.5–16 µm, somewhat larger in proximal parts of vaginant laminae.
1.5–5.5 mm.
1.4–10 mm.
polyoicous;
naked antheridia and archegonia often in axils of distal leaves.
theca 0.8–2.1 mm, erect, radially symmetric or nearly so;
peristome taxifolius-type;
operculum long rostrate, 0.6–0.9 mm.
theca exserted, erect, radially symmetric to ± inclined, bilaterally symmetic, 0.2–1.2 mm;
peristome bryoides-type;
operculum 0.5 mm.
cucullate, smooth, 1.5 mm.
cucullate smooth, to 0.5 mm.
13–18 µm.
10–20 µm.
1 per perichaetium.
1–2 per perichaetium.
Fissidens subbasilaris
Fissidens bryoides
Fissidens subbasilaris is distinguished, even in the field, by a costa obscured by chlorophyllose cells distally, and short perichaetial branches in the axils of proximal leaves. The plants are typically dark-green and often tinged with red.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Fissidens bryoides is a veritable kaleidoscope of intergrading expressions. At one extreme is F. bryoides in the strict sense, with plants gonioautoicous and the limbidium, 1–3 cells thick, confluent at the leaf apex with the percurrent to short-excurrent costa. At the other extreme is the expression that has been singled out as F. exiguus, with plants rhizautoicous and the 1-stratose limbidium usually restricted to the vaginant laminae of perichaetial leaves. In rare cases the limbidium can be absent from all leaves. All expressions, however, have clear, distinct, 1-stratose, irregularly hexagonal laminal cells, 6.5–16 µm, that in transverse section are no deeper than wide, and that have smooth walls that can be slightly bulging. H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson (1981) illustrated the major expressions found in the flora area. Axillary, multicellular gemmae have been reported in Indian specimens.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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