Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum revolutum
cypress-leaf claw-moss, cypress-leaf plaitmoss, hypnum moss
revolute 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 straight to falcate-secund, ovate or broadly ovate-oblong, gradually narrowed to apex, 0.5–1.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm;
base not decurrent, not auriculate;
margins revolute from base to near apex, entire at apex;
apex narrowly acuminate;
costa distinct to rarely ecostate;
alar cells subquadrate, not pigmented, region not well defined, not excavate, 8–15 cells in marginal row, forming clearly defined angles, 2 or 3 larger, hyaline, rectangular cells in decurrent portion;
basal laminal cells wider than medial cells, sometimes yellowish, walls porose, pitted;
medial cells 25–40 × 4–5 µm, walls not pitted.
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. Sexual condition dioicous;
inner perichaetial leaves oblong-lanceolate, margins serrulate distally, costa obscure.
similar, slightly smaller.
reddish, 1–2.5(–3) cm.
yellowish to reddish when mature, 1–2 cm.
dioicous;
inner perichaetial leaves oblong-lanceolate, plicate, margins almost entire distally, apex short, costa indistinct.
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 to horizontal, dull yellowish to brown, oblong-cylindric, 2–3 mm;
annulus 2 (or 3)-seriate;
operculum conic;
endostome cilia 2 or 3.
Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum revolutum
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.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Hypnum revolutum is circumpolar in the Northern Hemisphere but bipolar in distribution. The species occurs at sea level in the northern portion of its range but is most frequent at higher elevations. Strongly revolute leaf margins are found in the genus only in H. revolutum, and the areolation in combination with the alar cell differentiation usually make this species readily recognizable. Creeping plants tend to be pinnate, sometimes closely and regularly; suberect plants tend to be more loosely and irregularly branched. The longest branches are the ones most distant from the stem apex. Plants of H. revolutum have outer stem cell walls often thin and collapsed inward; the stem leaves are concave. The antheridial and archegonial plants are alike.
(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 |
1. Plants medium-sized; leaves plicate; margins strongly revolute to near apex. | var. revolutum |
1. Plants relatively small; leaves not plicate; margins plane or sometimes revolute basally. | var. ravaudii |
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