Orthotrichum lyellii |
Orthotrichum laevigatum |
|
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Lyell's bristle-moss, Lyell's orthotrichum moss |
orthotrichum moss |
|
Habit | Plants to 13 cm. | Plants (0.5–)2(–4.3) cm, light green to olive green. |
Stem | leaves erect-spreading to loosely erect, ± contorted when dry, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 2.5–6.5 mm; margins plane, entire; apex narrowly acute to acuminate; basal laminal cells narrowly elongate, walls thick, ± nodose; distal cells 7–14 µm, 1-stratose, papillae 1–3 per cell, conic, large. |
leaves stiff, erect-appressed, slightly secund when dry, oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, 2–4.3 mm; margins revolute from base to near apex, entire; apex obtuse, bluntly or narrowly acute, or gradually acuminate; basal laminal cells rectangular to elongate, grading to elliptic-quadrate, walls thick, nodose; distal cells 8–12 µm, 1-stratose, papillae 1–3 per cell, conic or 2-fid, low. |
Seta | 0.8–2.7 mm. |
1.5–4 mm. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
gonioautoicous. |
Capsule | immersed, emergent, or rarely exserted, oblong-cylindric, 1.7–3 mm, strongly 8-ribbed to mid capsule or entire length; stomata superficial; peristome double; prostome absent; exostome teeth 16, reflexed-recurved, acuminate, densely papillose; endostome segments 16, well developed, usually present when capsule is old and dry, thick, stout, of 2 rows of cells, narrower than exostome teeth, yellowish brown, coarsely papillose. |
fully exserted, cylindric, 1.4–2.6 mm, smooth or sometimes slightly plicate distally; exothecial cells homogeneous; stomata superficial; peristome double; prostome absent or rudimentary; exostome teeth 16, erect, papillose; endostome segments 8, occasionally rudimentary, usually absent in open capsules, of 1 row of cells, smooth. |
Calyptra | conic-oblong, smooth, very hairy, hairs papillose. |
conic-oblong, smooth, sparsely hairy, hairs finely papillose. |
Spores | 18–35 µm. |
10–15 µm. |
Specialized | asexual reproduction by gemmae on leaves. |
asexual reproduction absent. |
Orthotrichum lyellii |
Orthotrichum laevigatum |
|
Habitat | Trees, covering trunks to 10 m, boulders | Non-calcareous boulders in mesic, open coniferous forests, base of deciduous trees |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations (10-1000 m) (low to moderate elevations (0-3300 ft)) | moderate to high elevations (500-3000 m) (moderate to high elevations (1600-9800 ft)) |
Distribution |
AK; CA; ID; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California); Europe; n Africa
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AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; SK; YT; Europe; e Asia (Japan)
|
Discussion | Orthotrichum lyellii is easily distinguished from all other species of the genus by its dioicous sexual condition, the male plants being slightly smaller and having numerous and conspicuous perigonia. In addition, the 16, slenderly acuminate, whitish exostome teeth and 16 endostome segments are characteristic. Sterile plants usually have abundant laminal gemmae. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Orthotrichum laevigatum is part of a complex group of intergrading taxa that generally are characterized by exserted, cylindric capsules with 16 erect or reflexed exostome teeth and a poorly developed endostome. Gametophytically, robust plants have stiff, erect leaves and large, blunt papillae. This complex is treated here as three species: O. holzingeri, a distinct, highly specialized species of seasonally wet rock with smooth exostome teeth, smooth laminal cells, smooth calyptra, and slightly ribbed capsule as distinguishing features; O. laevigatum, distinguished by smooth capsule and erect, papillose exostome teeth; and O. pylaisii, distinguished by slightly 8-ribbed capsule and reflexed-recurved exostome teeth. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 28, p. 59. | FNA vol. 28, p. 57. |
Parent taxa | Orthotrichaceae > Orthotrichum | Orthotrichaceae > Orthotrichum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Dorcadion lyellii, O. lyellii var. howei, O. lyellii var. papillosum, O. lyellii var. pringlei, O. lyellii subsp. strictum, O. lyellioides, O. menziesii, O. papillosum, O. papillosum subsp. strictum, O. pringlei | O. hainesiae, O. kingianum, O. laevigatum var. kingianum, O. lonchothecium, O. macounii, O. macounii var. lonchothecium, O. raui, O. roellii, O. roellii subsp. schlotthaueri, O. roellii subsp. stenocarpum, O. schlotthaueri, O. speciosum var. brevicaule, O. speciosum var. hainesiae, O. speciosum subsp. laevigatum, O. speciosum var. polyanthum, O. speciosum var. polycarpum, O. speciosum var. raui |
Name authority | Hooker & Taylor: Muscol. Brit., 76, plate 22 [upper left]. (1818) | J. E. Zetterstedt: Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 19: 363. (1862) |
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