Niphotrichum elongatum
Niphotrichum sect. Elongata
(1–)3–10(–13) cm, creeping, decumbent to ± erect, mostly pinnately branched with short, tuft-like branchlets, usually distinctly recurved at the apex.
imbricate, not altered on drying, recurved when moist, ovate-lanceolate to subtriangular, indistinctly plicate, 2–3.2 × 0.8–1.2 mm;
margins broadly recurved throughout;
apices sharply carinate, most often piliferous, awns recurved to reflexed, subulate, strongly denticulate, mostly long-decurrent, slightly to distinctly papillose distally, strongly papillose basally with high and narrow papillae;
costa percurrent, situated at the base of a moderately deep, wide-angled channel and strongly flattened basaly, 75–100 µm wide;
basal laminal cells long-rectangular, 20–50 × 4–6 µm, moderately thick-walled, nodulose, papillose with large papillae, except for 1–4 rows of epapillose cells at the insertion;
alar cells hyaline, thin-walled in 3–5 rows, forming a sharply delimited, convex group;
supra-alar cells short, thick- and sinuose-walled, forming non-transparent border of 6–10 cells;
medial and distal laminal cells subquadrate to rectangular, 6–20 × 5–8 µm, distinctly papillose.
ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate to triangular, sharply keeled to narrowly canaliculate in the distal part;
costa in most leaves unbranched or only occasionally forked in some leaves, extending to three quarters of the leaf length to percurrent;
leaf cell papillae tending to be relatively small and inconspicuous in the distal lamina.
brown, glistening, 10–15 mm.
brown, long-cylindric, 1.4–1.8 mm, sulcate when dry;
peristome teeth 650–800 µm long, reddish brown to red, split to the base into 2 filiform prongs, densely papillose.
9–11 µm.
perichaetial leaves hyaline, piliferous.
Niphotrichum elongatum
Niphotrichum sect. Elongata
Niphotrichum elongatum has only recently been formally described as a distinct species. Although it was distinguished at that level by several bryologists of the early eighteenth century, it subsequently fell into oblivion and was merged with N. canescens. It is very distinct, though closely related to N. ericoides. In contrast to the latter, it is a more southern taxon, and in North America does not extend to the Arctic, reaching its northernmost locality on Gilbert Island in southeastern Alaska. Apart from a few collections from the southernmost tip of Greenland, it has been found only once at lat. 70º N in East Greenland. It grows in habitats similar to those of N. ericoides, with which it often occurs in mixed stands, but the latter generally favours drier, warmer, and more exposed microhabitats than the former.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 6 (4 in the flora).
Section Elongata is fairly homogeneous. Its members are readily recognized by their leaves, which are sharply keeled to narrowly canaliculate or canaliculate-keeled in the distal part, and their costae, which cease mostly at three quarters of the leaf length or are subpercurrent to percurrent and are generally undivided at the tip.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf margins recurved to 1/2-3/4 of the way up the leaf. | N. muticum |
1. Leaf margins recurved to the apex | → 2 |
2. Plants small; leaves 1.5-1.8 mm long; costa not grooved; laminal cells opaque, coarsely papillose, yellowish; alar cells forming a small and weakly inflated group; awns absent papillae or only faintly papillose at the base | N. pygmaeum |
2. Plants medium-sized to large; leaves 2-3 mm long; costa lying in a shallow or deeper furrow; laminal cells coarsely to slightly papillose, mostly transparent, not yellowish (except the base); alar cells forming a conspicuous and distinctly inflated group; awns mostly coarsely papillose | → 3 |
3. Supra-alar cells elongate, thin-walled and not sinuose, forming a transparent marginal border; awns erect-flexuose when dry, not or indistinctly decurrent, faintly papillose to epapillose in the distal part | N. ericoides |
3. Supra-alar cells short, thick- and sinuose-walled, not forming a translucent border; awns recurved when dry, conspicuously decurrent, coarsely papillose throughout. | N. elongatum |
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