Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum plicatulum
cypress-leaf claw-moss, cypress-leaf plaitmoss, hypnum moss
hypnum moss
1–8+ cm, pale to yellowish green, brown with age, creeping to erect, complanate-foliate or not, irregularly pinnate to nearly unbranched, attached shoots often regularly pinnate, branches 1–3 cm;
hyalodermis absent, central strand poorly developed;
pseudoparaphyllia filamentous, 1–3-seriate at base.
leaves curved to falcate-secund, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly triangular, strongly curved to insertion, gradually narrowed to apex, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.8 mm;
base auriculate;
margins plane, often toothed on auriculate portion, entire or toothed distally;
apex long-attenuate;
costa double and short or obscure;
alar cells triangular, rectangular, or rhomboidal, region usually well defined, distalmost and outermost cells pitted, sometimes reduced or absent, outermost cells with walls not thinner;
basal laminal cells shorter, broader than medial cells, pigmented or walls pitted;
medial cells (50–)60–70(–80) × 4–5 µm.
strongly imbricate, not to decidedly falcate-secund, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, gradually or abruptly narrowed to apex, 1.5–2 × 0.5–0.8 mm;
base not decurrent, not auriculate;
margins recurved to plane proximally, serrulate (sometimes weakly) distally, occasionally nearly entire;
acumen slender;
costa double and short or obscure;
alar region well defined, basalmost cells larger, sometimes hyaline, yellowish or brownish;
basal laminal cells shorter, wider than medial cells, not pigmented, walls not pitted;
medial cells (50–)60–80 × 3–4(–5) µm.
reddish, 1–2.5(–3) cm.
red to red-brown, 2–2.3 cm.
dioicous;
inner perichaetial leaves oblong-lanceolate, margins serrulate distally, costa obscure.
dioicous (phyllodioicous).
slightly inclined, reddish, cylindric, 1.8–2.5(–2.8) mm;
annulus 1–3-seriate;
operculum conic to rostrate;
endostome cilia 1–2(–3).
inclined, brown, cylindric, 1.5–2 × 0.7–0.8 mm;
annulus 1- or 2-seriate;
operculum conic;
endostome cilia 2.
Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum plicatulum
Varieties 9 (4 in the flora).
Hypnum cupressiforme is an extremely polymorphic species, reflected in the more than 60 varieties that have been described. The species has a wide ecological amplitude as well as a nearly cosmopolitan distribution and is found in all climatic regions except the Antarctic. Taxonomic features reliable in most other species of Hypnum are plastic in H. cupressiforme. Within a single clone, it is possible to sort out several named varieties. Variety lacunosum Bridel was noted by H. Ando (1989) to be weakly differentiated in North America, and he tentatively cited specimens from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and South Dakota. Ando noted that var. lacunosum typically is robust, thick-complanate to julaceous, with leaves almost straight to weakly falcate and abruptly narrowed to a short acumen, but the North American material is not robust and is therefore problematic.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Hypnum plicatulum is a predominantly boreal to Arctic species, scattered in the Northern Hemisphere and producing sporophytes infrequently in summer. Useful distinguishing features include the frequently close-pinnate stems, yellowish green to golden green leaves with green to yellow stems, stems with hyalodermis, and auriculate leaves with a few differentiated alar cells that are sometimes excavated. See also discussions under 3. H. callichroum, 10. H. hamulosum, and 11. H. holmenii. Plants of H. plicatulum have branches 0.5–1 mm wide; the leaves have five or six pigmented, thick-walled alar cells, 6–15 µm; and the endostome cilia are as long as the segments.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Branch leaves 1.5-2 × 0.4-0.6 mm or slightly larger | → 2 |
1. Branch leaves 1-1.4 × 0.2-0.4 mm or slightly smaller | → 3 |
2. Stems weakly complanate-foliate; leaves usually falcate, sometimes strongly so; alar cells not excavate or pigmented. | var. cupressiforme |
2. Stems subjulaceous to complanate-foliate; leaves straight to weakly falcate; alar cells excavate, pigmented. | var. subjulaceum |
3. Leaves usually falcate, sometimes strongly so; margins subentire to distinctly toothed distally. | var. cupressiforme |
3. Leaves straight to somewhat falcate; margins entire or subentire | → 4 |
4. Stems subjulaceous, creeping; leaves oblong-lanceolate, gradually narrowed to apex; laminal cells 60-80 × 3-4 µm (or slightly larger). | var. filiforme |
4. Stems julaceous, creeping to erect; leaves ovate or widely oblong, abruptly narrowed to apex; laminal cells 40-50 × 5-6 µm. | var. julaceum |
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