Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum vaucheri
cypress-leaf claw-moss, cypress-leaf plaitmoss, hypnum moss
vaucher's claw-moss, vaucher's 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 erect to falcate-secund, ovate to broadly oblong-lanceolate, gradually to abruptly narrowed to apex, 1.2–1.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm;
base not auriculate;
margins broadly recurved to almost plane basally, nearly entire to serrulate distally;
acumen comparatively short;
costa distinct, single or 2-fid;
alar cells not pigmented, region well defined, not or weakly excavate, with few enlarged hyaline cells at basal margin;
basal laminal cells shorter, somewhat wider than medial cells, unpigmented, walls pitted;
medial cells 30–50 × (3–)4–5(–6) µm, walls sometimes porose, 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.
reddish, 1–2.5(–3) cm.
yellowish to reddish, 1–1.5 cm.
dioicous;
inner perichaetial leaves oblong-lanceolate, plicate.
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, oblong-cylindric, 1.8–2.2 mm;
annulus 2- or 3-seriate;
operculum conic;
endostome cilia (1–)2–3.
Hypnum cupressiforme
Hypnum vaucheri
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 vaucheri is widely distributed in boreal and Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere; the plants are usually not firmly attached to the substrate, and sporophytes are infrequent; the branches emerge in one plane; the stem epidermal cells are not enlarged, with thin outer walls collapsing inward; the pseudoparaphyllia are few, with bluntly to sharply toothed margins; and the alar cells are shorter and wider than the laminal cells, in a triangular region. Hypnum vaucheri is readily confused with H. cupressiforme; the most reliable distinguishing feature is the blunt foliose pseudoparaphyllia of the former (filamentous to lanceolate in H. cupressiforme); in H. vaucheri the medial laminal cells are often short-elliptic rather than linear-flexuous, especially in straight leaves. Hypnum vaucheri is predominantly continental in distribution in North America, while H. cupressiforme is frequent near the coasts.
Hypnum canariense (Mitten) A. Jaeger (H. uncinatulum Juratzka)
Noted by A. J. Grout (1928–1940, vol. 3) presumably from Newfoundland, this species is not in North America. Grout appears to have based the record on H. waghornei Kindberg, in which the type contains a mixture, none of it Hypnum. Grout did not see authentic material, and appears to have followed Kindberg in J. Macoun (1902).
Hypnum fertile Sendtner
This species, treated in the past in North America, has been shown to be 8. H. fauriei Cardot; see discussion of that species.
Hypnum geminum (Mitten) Lesquereux & James
This species is not recognized under Hypnum in this treatment. The type specimen is extremely small and difficult to interpret; it is possibly Isopterygiopsis pulchella.
Hypnum obsoletinerve Kindberg
This species is clearly not Hypnum. According to A. J. Grout (1928–1940, vol. 3), H. N. Dixon examined the type from Alberta and suggested that it might be a Campylium species.
(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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