Grimmia ovalis |
Grimmia anomala |
|
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flat-rock grimmia, oval dry rock moss |
grimmia dry rock moss |
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Habit | Plants in loose tufts, dark green to brownish black. | Plants in tufts, yellowish green, blackish proximally. |
Stems | 1–3 cm. |
1.5–3.5 cm, small central strand present. |
Gemmae | in clusters, globular, yellowish green to orange, multicellular, on hyaline, deformed leaf apices. |
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Leaves | ovate-lanceolate from an ovate base, 1.7–4 × 0.4–0.8 mm, both margins plane, incurved distally, intermarginal bands absent, awn 0.5–1 mm, not decurrent, typically narrowly attached, acute, costa narrow proximally; basal juxtacostal laminal cells usually elongate (sometimes short-rectangular), usually sinuose, and usually with thick lateral walls; basal marginal laminal cells quadrate to long-rectangular, straight, with thick transverse and thin lateral walls, green, not to distinctly hyaline; medial laminal cells rounded to quadrate, straight, thick-walled; distal laminal cells 2-stratose, quadrate, thick-walled. |
irregularly imbricate when dry, erect when moist, oblong-lanceolate, gradually narrowed into a blunt chlorophyllose point, 1.5–2.5 × 0.4–0.8 mm, keeled, margins recurved on one or both sides, awns absent to very short, costa projecting on abaxial side; basal juxtacostal laminal cells quadrate to short-rectangular, straight, thin-walled; basal marginal laminal cells quadrate to short-rectangular with thickened transverse walls; medial laminal cells rounded-quadrate, walls slightly sinuose, thin- or thick-walled; distal laminal cells 1-stratose, in places 2-stratose, margins 1-stratose. |
Seta | straight, 4–6 mm. |
straight to slightly arcuate when moist, 3–5 mm. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
|
Capsule | occasionally present, exserted, yellow-brown, oblong-ovoid, exothecial cells short-rectangular, thin-walled, stomata present, annulus of 2–3 rows of rectangular, thick-walled cells, operculum long-rostrate, peristome solid, split in distal half. |
extremely rare, exserted, brownish, oblong-ovoid, smooth, exothecial cells isodiametric, thick-walled, annulus present, operculum with long straight beak, peristome teeth orange, fully-developed, smooth proximally, perforated and papillose distally. |
Calyptra | cucullate. |
mitrate. |
Perichaetial | leaves enlarged. |
|
Grimmia ovalis |
Grimmia anomala |
|
Habitat | Dry, exposed to partially shaded, acidic, sandstone, granite and basalt, montane to alpine | Exposed, damp acidic rock in boreal and alpine meadows and slopes |
Elevation | (low to) moderate to high elevations (30-)1000-2500 m ((low to) moderate to high elevations (100-)3300-8200 ft) | moderate to high elevations (200-3000 m) (moderate to high elevations (700-9800 ft)) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MN; MO; MT; NM; NV; NY; OR; PA; TX; UT; VA; WA; WY; AB; BC; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia; Africa (Algeria, Morocco)
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AK; CA; CO; ID; MI; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NF; NS; ON; Greenland; Eurasia |
Discussion | Grimmia ovalis is common and widespread in high elevation sites in western North America from southern British Columbia along the Rocky Mountain corridor to southern New Mexico and south central California. H. A. Crum and L. E. Anderson (1981) rejected all reports of G. ovalis from eastern North America. However, we have seen specimens from that area, although scattered and rare. It is not surprising that the species occurs in the eastern part of the continent given that it is widespread across the Laurasian continental plates and in India. Outlier sites in the Yukon and southern Greenland connect the North American populations to those in Asia and Europe, respectively. In western North America, G. ovalis is most often confused with G. longirostris and G. laevigata. While superficially similar to G. longirostris, G. ovalis has concave leaves with plane margins and is dioicous, while G. longirostris has keeled leaves with a recurved margin and is autoicous. Other points of separation are discussed under G. longirostris. Typical specimens of G. ovalis are readily separated from G. laevigata by their ovate-lanceolate leaves with a well-defined ovate base and narrowly attached awns. However, both of these species are variable in leaf shape, and while the awn of G. ovalis is usually narrowly attached, sometimes it is quite broad and may border on being decurrent. These specimens can be identified by the width of the costa and the basal areolation. Grimmia ovalis has a costa that is narrow at the base, while G. laevigata has a distinctly broad costa covering up to 1/3 of the base. The basal marginal cells of G. ovalis are most often short- to long-rectangular and hyaline while those of G. laevigata are always oblate to quadrate and not hyaline. In eastern North America, specimens of G. ovalis have been misidentified as G. olneyi. Aside from seta and capsule differences, G. ovalis has rectangular basal marginal laminal cells and its basal juxtacostal cells are long-rectangular to elongate; see also under G. olneyi. Based on identifications by Greven, W. A. Weber et al. (2003) reported Grimmia bernoullii in the United States. That species differs from G. ovalis by its more ovate leaves without shoulders and with plane margins, costa broad at the base and disappearing in mid leaf, and sporophytically by its ellipsoid capsule with long-rostrate, straight operculum, and mitrate calyptra. Hastings has examined duplicate specimens from Missouri of those cited by Weber et al. and has determined that they do not deviate significantly from G. ovalis, having rather narrow leaves, costa narrow at the base and remaining strong in mid leaf, and with many leaves having incurved margins. The specimens were sterile and therefore sporophytic characters could not be determined. Based on these observations Hastings excludes G. bernoullii from the North American flora, although Greven would still retain the species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Because of the always abundant gemmae on leaf apices, Grimmia anomala has often been confused with G. hartmanii. Indeed, it has frequently been treated as a variety of that species (G. N. Jones 1933; E. Lawton 1971). However, as pointed out by O. Vitikainen (1969), the ecological and morphological features of G. hartmanii are so constant and distinct that there is no doubt that it can be treated as a separate species. Special features of G. anomala are stems with central strands, and longitudinal ridges on cell walls in the distal part of the leaf that resemble papillae in transverse section. It tends to prefer upland habitats. In contrast, G. hartmanii is principally a lowland species, frequently growing on boulders in forests. It lacks a central strand, and longitudinal ridges are absent. Its spreading, secund distal leaves taper to long, sharply keeled apices. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 244. | FNA vol. 27, p. 248. |
Parent taxa | Grimmiaceae > subfam. Grimmioideae > Grimmia > subg. Litoneuron | Grimmiaceae > subfam. Grimmioideae > Grimmia > subg. Rhabdogrimmia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Dicranum ovale, G. commutata, G. ovata, G. ovata var. gracilis | G. hartmanii subsp. anomala, G. pachyneurula, G. philibertiana |
Name authority | (Hedwig) Lindberg: Acta Soc. Sci. Fenn. 10: 75. (1871) | Hampe: in W. P. Schimper, Syn. Musc. Eur. ed. 2, 270. (1876) |
Web links |