Fissidens taxifolius |
Fissidens zollingeri |
|
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fissidens moss, yew-leaf pocket moss |
zollinger's fissidens moss |
|
Habit | Plants to 11 × 3.5 mm. | Plants to 5.5 × 3.0 mm. |
Stem | mostly branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand present. |
unbranched and branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand weak or absent. |
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 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 | to 17 mm. |
|
Sexual condition | rhizautoicous; perigonia on short branches proximal to elongate stems; perichaetia on short, proximal, axillary branches. |
rhizautoicous and synoicous. |
Capsule | theca slightly inclined, slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, to 1.5 mm; peristome taxifolius-type; operculum to 1 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 2 mm. |
cucullate, smooth, 0.6 mm. |
Spores | 13–18 µm. |
10–13 µm. |
Sporophytes | 1 per perichaetium. |
1–2 per perichaetium. |
Fissidens taxifolius |
Fissidens zollingeri |
|
Habitat | Damp, shaded soil, humus, and rocks | Damp calcareous soil and limestone rocks in ravines and woods |
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; GA; LA; MS; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Asia; Africa |
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 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. 341. | FNA vol. 27, p. 356. |
Parent taxa | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | F. clebschii | F. kegelianus |
Name authority | Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 155, plate 39, figs. 1–5. (1801) | Montagne: Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 3, 4: 114. (1845) |
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