Fissidens subbasilaris |
Fissidens crispus |
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fissidens moss |
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Habit | Plants to 12 × 1.5–3.5 mm. | Plants to 10 × 3 mm. |
Stem | branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand present. |
unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand present or absent. |
Leaves | 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, elliptic to broadly lanceolate to oblong-lingulate, acute, short-acuminate to obtuse-apiculate, to 2 × 0.5 mm; dorsal lamina narrowed proximally, ending before insertion to ± decurrent; vaginant laminae 2/3–3/4 leaf length, equal; margin ± entire but usually serrulate distally, limbate on all laminae, limbidium usually ending a few cells before apex, frequently edged by 1–2 rows of quadrate to oblong chlorophyllose cells in proximal parts of vaginant laminae, limbidial cells 1–2-stratose; costa percurrent to ending 2–5 cells before leaf, infrequently short-excurrent, bryoides-type; laminal cells 1-stratose, smooth, strongly bulging, densely chlorophyllose, ± obscure, firm-walled, irregularly quadrate to hexagonal, usually arranged in discernable rows in distal part of leaf, 6–10 µm, twice as deep as wide. |
Seta | 1.5–5.5 mm. |
to 9 mm. |
Sexual condition | gonioautoicous and rhizautoicous. |
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Capsule | 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, inclined, bilaterally symmetric to erect, radially symmetric, to 1 mm; peristome bryoides-type; operculum 0.5 mm. |
Calyptra | cucullate, smooth, 1.5 mm. |
cucullate, smooth, 0.8 mm. |
Spores | 13–18 µm. |
10–16 µm. |
Sporophytes | 1 per perichaetium. |
1–2 per perichaetium. |
Fissidens subbasilaris |
Fissidens crispus |
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Habitat | Particularly around bases of trees, also rocks, mostly limestone, infrequently decaying wood | Moist shaded soil, over rocks near streams, infrequently submerged by fluctuating water levels |
Distribution |
AL; AR; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; NC; NH; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON; QC; Mexico (San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
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AZ; CA; CO; LA; MS; NM; NV; OR; TX; UT; WA; AB; BC; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies |
Discussion | 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.) |
Three species belong to the Fissidens crispus complex; F. crispus, F. minutulus, and F. sublimbatus. A well-developed limbidium and small (6–10 µm), bulging, obscure laminal cells that in transverse section are twice as deep as wide characterize all three. Fissidens crispus, better known in western North America as F. limbatus, is highly variable and widespread, ranging widely in tropical America, where it also attains its greatest variability. It is best distinguished by laminal cells that are usually arranged in discernable rows in the distal parts of leaves. The dorsal lamina is quite variable, ending above the insertion to long-decurrent as in some tropical expressions. Leaves, when dry, are usually crispate. The limbidium is found on all or most leaves and usually extends to or ends just before the apex. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 342. | FNA vol. 27, p. 349. |
Parent taxa | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | F. limbatus, F. limbatus var. brevifolius, F. limbatus var. ensiformis, F. pusillus var. brevifolius, F. repandus, F. tortilis | |
Name authority | Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 155, plate 39, figs. 6–9. (1801) | Montagne: Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 2, 9: 57. (1838) |
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