Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum recurvatum
cypress-leaf claw-moss, cypress-leaf plaitmoss, hypnum moss
recurved 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 strongly falcate-secund to circinate, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, gradually narrowed to apex, 0.7–1.3 × 0.3–0.4 mm;
base somewhat decurrent, subcordate, not auriculate;
margins recurved basally to 2/3 leaf length or longer, occasionally plane, almost entire to finely serrulate;
acumen fine;
costa indistinct, weak, or ecostate;
alar cells quadrate, region not well defined, 4–10 cells in marginal row;
basal laminal cells broader than medial cells, yellowish, walls ± porose;
medial cells 30–50+ × 3 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.
similar, 0.5–1 mm.
reddish, 1–2.5(–3) cm.
reddish when mature, 0.7–1.5(–1.8) cm.
dioicous;
inner perichaetial leaves oblong-lanceolate, margins serrulate distally, costa obscure.
autoicous.
slightly inclined, reddish, cylindric, 1.8–2.5(–2.8) mm;
annulus 1–3-seriate;
operculum conic to rostrate;
endostome cilia 1–2(–3).
suberect to horizontal, yellowish to reddish when mature, oblong to subcylindric, 1–2 × 0.4–0.8 mm;
annulus 2-seriate;
operculum conic;
endostome cilia (1–)2–3.
Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum recurvatum
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 recurvatum is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, more frequent in western than eastern portions of the continents. The plants are firmly affixed to the substrate by rhizoids and produce sporophytes in summer; the branches are unequal in length and sometimes flagelliform; the pseudoparaphyllia are frequent, possibly referable to paraphyllia, usually with a 1-seriate apex 3–6 cells in length; the stem leaves are plicate; and the alar cell walls are thinner than those of the medial cells. This species has been confused with H. revolutum var. ravaudii, but the pseudoparaphyllia of that variety are wide and foliose, while those in H. recurvatum are lanceolate to filamentous. The leaves of H. recurvatum are strongly falcate to circinate, while those of H. revolutum var. ravaudii are often barely falcate and sometimes straight; also alar cell differentiation in H. recurvatum is less pronounced than in the other. Hypnum fastigiatum Bridel is an illegitimate later homonym that pertains here.
(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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