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Habit Plants in robust, loose, arched-ascending, readily disintegrating patches, brownish green distally, blackish proximally. Plants robust, ascending from a decumbent base, dark olivaceous.
Stems

5–10 cm, central strand absent.

5–12 cm, repeatedly dichotomous, central strand absent.

Gemmae

absent.

absent.

Leaves

loosely appressed when dry, patent when moist, broadly ovate-lanceolate, tapering to an acute, slightly toothed apex, 2–3 × 0.4–0.6 mm, keeled, margins recurved on both sides, awns absent, costa stout, with two abaxial lamellae (or wings) forming parallel ridges along its length;

basal juxtacostal laminal cells yellow, linear, sinuose, thick-walled;

basal marginal laminal cells quadrate to short-rectangular, slightly thick-walled;

medial laminal cells quadrate to rectangular, sinuous, thick-walled;

distal laminal cells 1-stratose, margins 2-stratose.

loosely appressed when dry, patent to spreading when moist, often becoming secund distally on the stem, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 3–4 × 0.6–0.9 mm, keeled, margins recurved on both sides, awns denticulate, flattened proximally, sometimes decurrent, costa yellowish to pale orange proximally, wider (± 100 µm) near the base, channeled distally, semicircular on abaxial side;

basal juxtacostal laminal cells elongate to linear, weakly orange at insertion, nodulose, thick-walled;

basal marginal laminal cells in a few rows quadrate to short-rectangular, thick-walled;

medial laminal cells quadrate to short-rectangular, strongly sinuose, thin to thick oblique transverse walls and extremely thick lateral walls;

distal laminal cells 1-stratose, margins partly 2-stratose.

Seta

cygneous to arcuate at maturity, flexuose when old, 3–5 mm.

arcuate, 3–4 mm.

Sexual condition

dioicous.

dioicous.

Capsule

occasionally present, exserted, obloid, yellowish green to yellowish brown, plicate when empty, exothecial cells thin-walled, annulus present, operculum rostrate, peristome teeth purple, divided nearly to base into two partly adhering segments, papillose.

occasionally present, exserted, yellowish green, oblong-ovoid, striate, exothecial cells rather thick-walled, annulus present, operculum rostrate, peristome teeth orange to reddish, perforated, irregularly cleft at apex, nearly smooth basally, papillose distally.

Calyptra

mitrate.

mitrate.

Grimmia ramondii

Grimmia leibergii

Habitat Dry to damp acidic rock Dry acidic boulders
Elevation low to high elevations (0-2000 m) (low to high elevations (0-6600 ft)) moderate elevations (400-500 m) (moderate elevations (1300-1600 ft))
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MI; MT; OR; WA; AB; BC; NF; NT; Greenland; Europe; Asia (China, Japan); n Africa
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; BC; Eurasia
Discussion

Grimmia ramondii occurs near sea level in arctic areas and along the West Coast. In the latter region, however, it is more common in mid-elevation montane sites and may also be found above the tree line. It differs from most Grimmia species by its lack of awns, winged costa, and tall, loose growth form. At first sight, G. ramondii has the habit of a Racomitrium. However, the sporophyte has an arcuate rather than straight seta, and the capsules are striate rather than smooth. Because of its habit and the absence of a central strand, K. G. Limpricht ([1885–]1890–1903, vol. 1) placed it, together with G. hartmanii and G. atrata, in Dryptodon, a genus intermediate between Grimmia and Racomitrium. There are many other Grimmia species, however, without a central strand, and G. hartmanii and G. atrata have already been removed from Dryptodon, so there is no reason to maintain that monotypic genus. Grimmia ramondii may be confused with G. hartmanii and G. elatior. However, the lack of awns, the Racomitrioideae-like areolation, and the distinct costal wings distinguish it easily from those species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Grimmia leibergii, formerly thought to be endemic to western North America, has the habit of Racomitrium heterostichum. Nearly all specimens of G. leibergii in NY, and probably also in other North American herbaria, have been filed as varieties of R. heterostichum (= Bucklandiella heterosticha). This confusion probably accounts for G. leibergii not being commonly recognized in North America. J. B. Leiberg (1893) stated that it is most closely related to G. decipiens, a species that does not occur in North America. Both taxa share broadly ovate-lanceolate leaves with both margins recurved, rectangular mid leaf cells with extremely thick and sinuose lateral walls and elongate to linear, nodulose, thick-walled basal juxtacostal cells. However, G. decipiens is autoicous, it is a much smaller species, with long, sharply denticulate awns. The gametophytes form comal tufts, so the distal leaves are 2–3 times longer than the lower leaves, and are not secund. Grimmia jacutica has been described separately from eastern Asia and Alaska but all specimens of it that we have examined are just slightly smaller forms of G. leibergii with slightly more sinouse mid leaf cells. The extension of G. leibergii into eastern Asia is a significant find and speaks to our poor knowledge of Grimmia distribution patterns on a worldwide basis.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 256. FNA vol. 27, p. 252.
Parent taxa Grimmiaceae > subfam. Grimmioideae > Grimmia > subg. Rhabdogrimmia Grimmiaceae > subfam. Grimmioideae > Grimmia > subg. Rhabdogrimmia
Sibling taxa
G. alpestris, G. americana, G. anodon, G. anomala, G. arizonae, G. atrata, G. attenuata, G. brittoniae, G. caespiticia, G. crinitoleucophaea, G. donniana, G. elatior, G. elongata, G. funalis, G. hamulosa, G. hartmanii, G. incurva, G. laevigata, G. leibergii, G. lesherae, G. lisae, G. longirostris, G. mariniana, G. mollis, G. montana, G. moxleyi, G. muehlenbeckii, G. nevadensis, G. olneyi, G. orbicularis, G. ovalis, G. pilifera, G. plagiopodia, G. pulvinata, G. reflexidens, G. serrana, G. sessitana, G. shastae, G. teretinervis, G. torquata, G. trichophylla, G. unicolor
G. alpestris, G. americana, G. anodon, G. anomala, G. arizonae, G. atrata, G. attenuata, G. brittoniae, G. caespiticia, G. crinitoleucophaea, G. donniana, G. elatior, G. elongata, G. funalis, G. hamulosa, G. hartmanii, G. incurva, G. laevigata, G. lesherae, G. lisae, G. longirostris, G. mariniana, G. mollis, G. montana, G. moxleyi, G. muehlenbeckii, G. nevadensis, G. olneyi, G. orbicularis, G. ovalis, G. pilifera, G. plagiopodia, G. pulvinata, G. ramondii, G. reflexidens, G. serrana, G. sessitana, G. shastae, G. teretinervis, G. torquata, G. trichophylla, G. unicolor
Synonyms Pterigynandrum ramondii, Dryptodon patens, G. curvata, Racomitrium patens G. jacutica, G. pachyphylla
Name authority (Lamarck & De Candolle) Margadant: Lindbergia 1: 128. (1972) Paris: Actes Soc. Linn. Bordeaux, sér. 5, 9: 528. (1895)
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