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orthotrichum moss, rock bristle-moss

keever's orthotrichum moss

Habit Plants (1–)3–12.5 cm, light green to olive green. Plants 0.5–2 cm.
Stem

leaves stiff, erect-appressed when dry, narrowly lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2–4.5 mm;

margins recurved to narrowly revolute to near apex, entire;

apex sharply to slenderly acute;

basal laminal cells elongate to rectangular, walls thick, ± nodose;

distal cells 6–13 µm, 1-stratose, papillae 1 or 2 per cell, conic and small, or 2-fid and low.

leaves rigid, erect-appressed when dry, oblong-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 2.2–4 mm;

margins revolute nearly to apex, often irregularly notched near apex;

apex slender-acute, cuspidate;

basal laminal cells linear-elongate, walls thick, nodose;

distal cells 7–14 µm, 1-stratose, papillae 1 or 2 per cell, conic, small.

Seta

to 1.8 mm.

1 mm.

Sexual condition

gonioautoicous.

gonioautoicous.

Capsule

immersed, emergent, or slightly exserted, usually 1/3 emergent, globose ovate, ovate-oblong, or short-oblong, 1.3–1.8 mm, slightly or distinctly 8-ribbed 1/2–2/3 length;

stomata superficial;

peristome single, rarely double;

prostome large, conspicuous, or rudimentary;

exostome teeth 16, erect or sometimes spreading-recurved when old, smooth, scattered-papillose, or coarsely papillose-granulate;

endostome segments absent, or rarely 8, rudimentary, of 1 row of cells, smooth or roughened.

1/2 emergent when dry, cylindric, 1.5–2 mm, distinctly 8-ribbed entire length when mature;

stomata superficial;

peristome double;

prostome absent;

exostome teeth 16, often connate at base, recurved when dry, truncate, densely papillose;

endostome segments 16, well developed, usually present when capsule is old and dry, thick, stout, of 2 rows of cells, almost as wide as exostome teeth, yellowish brown, densely papillose.

Calyptra

oblong, smooth, hairy or rarely naked, hairs finely papillose.

conic-oblong, smooth, hairy, hairs papillose.

Spores

13–21 µm.

17–27 µm.

Specialized

asexual reproduction absent.

asexual reproduction absent.

Orthotrichum rupestre

Orthotrichum keeverae

Habitat Non-calcareous boulders and cliff faces in mesic areas of pine, spruce-fir, or aspen forests, base of trees, subalpine shade Trunks and branches of live and dead Quercus montana
Elevation low to high elevations (100-3000 m) (low to high elevations (300-9800 ft)) moderate to high elevations (1500-2000 m) (moderate to high elevations (4900-6600 ft))
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; NU; ON; YT; South America; e Africa; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands); Greenland; n Africa; e Asia (Japan); Europe; Australia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
NC; VA
Discussion

In typical form, Orthotrichum rupestre is characterized as much-branched plants in loose tufts with lanceolate leaves, apex narrowly and bluntly acute, basal cells elongate, thick-walled, and nodose, yellowish in older leaves, capsule oblong, emergent, 8-ribbed to mid capsule when old and dry, smooth or slightly 8-ribbed when mature, exostome of 16 erect teeth, coarsely papillose, and calyptra with abundant, spinulose, papillose hairs, some of which extend over the beak.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Orthotrichum keeverae is the only species in southeastern North America with 16 recurved exostome teeth, a stout endostome, and cuspidate leaf apices. The exostome teeth are truncate and partially connate at the base, forming a basal membrane.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 28, p. 65. FNA vol. 28, p. 57.
Parent taxa Orthotrichaceae > Orthotrichum Orthotrichaceae > Orthotrichum
Sibling taxa
O. affine, O. alpestre, O. anodon, O. anomalum, O. bartramii, O. bolanderi, O. consimile, O. cupulatum, O. diaphanum, O. elegans, O. euryphyllum, O. exiguum, O. fenestratum, O. flowersii, O. gymnostomum, O. hallii, O. holzingeri, O. keeverae, O. kellmanii, O. laevigatum, O. lescurii, O. lyellii, O. norrisii, O. obtusifolium, O. ohioense, O. pallens, O. parvulum, O. pellucidum, O. praemorsum, O. pulchellum, O. pumilum, O. pusillum, O. pycnophyllum, O. pylaisii, O. rivulare, O. shawii, O. shevockii, O. sordidum, O. speciosum, O. spjutii, O. stellatum, O. stramineum, O. strangulatum, O. striatum, O. tenellum, O. underwoodii
O. affine, O. alpestre, O. anodon, O. anomalum, O. bartramii, O. bolanderi, O. consimile, O. cupulatum, O. diaphanum, O. elegans, O. euryphyllum, O. exiguum, O. fenestratum, O. flowersii, O. gymnostomum, O. hallii, O. holzingeri, O. kellmanii, O. laevigatum, O. lescurii, O. lyellii, O. norrisii, O. obtusifolium, O. ohioense, O. pallens, O. parvulum, O. pellucidum, O. praemorsum, O. pulchellum, O. pumilum, O. pusillum, O. pycnophyllum, O. pylaisii, O. rivulare, O. rupestre, O. shawii, O. shevockii, O. sordidum, O. speciosum, O. spjutii, O. stellatum, O. stramineum, O. strangulatum, O. striatum, O. tenellum, O. underwoodii
Synonyms Dorcadion rupestre, O. bullatum, O. californicum, O. douglasii, O. macfaddenae, O. rupestre var. globosum, O. rupestre var. macfaddenae, O. texanum, O. texanum var. globosum
Name authority Schleicher ex Schwagrichen: Sp. Musc. Frond. Suppl. 1(2): 27, plate 53 [top]. (1816) H. A. Crum & L. E. Anderson: J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 72: 281, figs. 3 – 12. (1956)
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