Fissidens taxifolius |
Fissidentaceae |
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fissidens moss, yew-leaf pocket moss |
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Habit | Plants to 11 × 3.5 mm. | Plants tiny to robust. |
Stem | mostly branched; axillary hyaline nodules absent; central strand present. |
, except for initial stages, growing from a 2-sided apical cell. |
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. |
distichous, equitant, complex in form, consisting of two vaginant laminae that clasp the stem, a ventral lamina located above the vaginant laminae, and a dorsal lamina that occupies the length of the leaf opposite the vaginant and ventral laminae; costa single, usually well developed, near center of leaf, sometimes reduced, absent or nearly so. |
Seta | to 17 mm. |
elongate. |
Sexual condition | rhizautoicous; perigonia on short branches proximal to elongate stems; perichaetia on short, proximal, axillary branches. |
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Capsule | theca slightly inclined, slightly arcuate, bilaterally symmetric, to 1.5 mm; peristome taxifolius-type; operculum to 1 mm. |
cylindric, peristome single, teeth 16, haplolepidous, endostomate, usually divided 1/2–2/3 their length, sometimes irregularly divided or undivided, sometimes reduced, (rarely absent). |
Calyptra | cucullate, smooth, to 2 mm. |
cucullate. |
Spores | 13–18 µm. |
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Sporophytes | 1 per perichaetium. |
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Fissidens taxifolius |
Fissidentaceae |
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Habitat | Damp, shaded soil, humus, and rocks | |
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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Worldwide; mostly tropics |
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.) |
Genus 1, species 450 (37 in the flora). Fissidentaceae is recognized easily by its distichous and equitant leaves. This leaf form is closest to that of Bryoxiphium. The hepatic Diplophyllum is often confused with Fissidens. Relationship of the Fissidentaceae is with the Dicranaceae; both families have similar peristomes but differ principally in leaf structure. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 341. | FNA vol. 27, p. 331. |
Parent taxa | Fissidentaceae > Fissidens | |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Synonyms | F. clebschii | |
Name authority | Hedwig: Sp. Musc. Frond., 155, plate 39, figs. 1–5. (1801) | Schimper |
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