Fissidens taxifolius |
Fissidens scalaris |
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fissidens moss, yew-leaf pocket moss |
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Habit | Plants to 11 × 3.5 mm. | Plants 1.5–6 × 1 mm. |
Stem | mostly branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand present. |
unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules present; central strand present. |
Leaves | as many as 15 pairs, often undulate, oblong to lanceolate, obtuse to broadly acute, cuspidate, to 2.7 mm × 0.6 mm; dorsal lamina truncate-rounded proximally, ending at insertion, not decurrent; vaginant laminae 2/3 the leaf length, ± equal, minor lamina ending on or near margin; margin evenly serrulate, often crenulate-serrulate on dorsal and ventral laminae, elimbate; costa ending in cuspidate apex, taxifolius-type; laminal cells 1-stratose, distinct, smooth, bulging, firm-walled, irregularly hexagonal, 8–11 µm frequently paler at margin, conspicuously mammillose in vaginant laminae, larger and clearer juxtacostally. |
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 | to 17 mm. |
2–6 mm. |
Sexual condition | rhizautoicous; perigonia on short branches proximal to elongate stems; perichaetia on short, proximal, axillary branches. |
rhizautoicous; perigonia gemmiform, proximal to fertile and infertile stems, and as branches along horizontal parts of stems. |
Capsule | theca slightly inclined, slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, to 1.5 mm; peristome taxifolius-type; operculum to 1 mm. |
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 2 mm. |
cucullate, smooth, to 0.45 mm. |
Spores | 13–18 µm. |
20–26 µm. |
Sporophytes | 1 per perichaetium. |
1 per perichaetium. |
Fissidens taxifolius |
Fissidens scalaris |
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Habitat | Damp, shaded soil, humus, and rocks | Bare, disturbed soil of stream banks and roadsides, loess banks, often more or less buried |
Distribution |
AL; AR; AZ; CA; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; ME; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; South America (Brazil and Chile); Europe; Asia (China, Japan); Pacific Islands (New Zealand)
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AL; FL; LA; NC; OK; TX; South America |
Discussion | Fissidens taxifolius is distinguished by evenly serrulate or crenulate-serrulate leaf margin, stout costa ending in leaf cusp, conspicuous mammillose cells in the vaginant laminae, and sporophytes on short branches in the axils of proximal leaves. It can be confused with F. bushii, but that species is smaller, has costa shorter, and cells in the vaginant laminae have small, more or less inconspicuous papillae in the corners of the walls. Fissidens taxifolius usually occurs on shaded, damp soil or humus, whereas F. bushii is usually found on disturbed soil in woods, along paths, and in road cuts. Fissidens clebschii is considered to be a freakish expression of F. taxifolius (R. A. Pursell 2003). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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. 341. | FNA vol. 27, p. 347. |
Parent taxa | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | F. clebschii | Moenkemeyera neonii, F. neonii |
Name authority | Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 155, plate 39, figs. 1–5. (1801) | Mitten: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 12: 596. (1869) |
Web links |