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orthotrichum moss, rock bristle-moss

Habit Plants (1–)3–12.5 cm, light green to olive green. Plants to 1 cm, dull.
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 stiff, erect-appressed when dry, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 2–3.5 mm;

margins plane or weakly recurved, entire;

apex blunt to obtuse;

basal laminal cells quadrate to rectangular, walls thin, not nodose;

distal cells 10–15 µm, 1-stratose;

papillae 1 or 2 per cell, conic, small.

Seta

to 1.8 mm.

0.5–0.8 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.

immersed, oblong, 1.2–1.9 mm, distinctly 8-ribbed, constricted below mouth when dry;

stomata immersed;

peristome single or rarely with fugacious endostome;

prostome absent;

exostome teeth 16, incurved-erect to spreading-recurved when dry, reticulate-papillose;

endostome segments absent or 8, not well developed, of 1 row of cells, short, smooth.

Calyptra

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

oblong-conic, smooth, hairy, hairs papillose.

Spores

13–21 µm.

12–19 µm.

Specialized

asexual reproduction absent.

asexual reproduction absent.

Orthotrichum rupestre

Orthotrichum parvulum

Habitat Non-calcareous boulders and cliff faces in mesic areas of pine, spruce-fir, or aspen forests, base of trees, subalpine shade Calcareous rock
Elevation low to high elevations (100-3000 m) (low to high elevations (300-9800 ft)) low elevations (90-150 m) (low elevations (300-500 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
AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MN; MO; WI
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 parvulum is most frequent in the central highlands of Missouri and Arkansas. The species differs from O. strangulatum (with 2–7-stratose leaf margins) and O. lescurii (with revolute, 1-stratose leaf margins) in having plane leaf margins and completely 1-stratose distal laminal cells. The stomata are found in the distal capsule, almost covered by subsidiary cells, and the endostome segments are hyaline.

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

Source FNA vol. 28, p. 65. FNA vol. 28, p. 62.
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. keeverae, O. kellmanii, O. laevigatum, O. lescurii, O. lyellii, O. norrisii, O. obtusifolium, O. ohioense, O. pallens, 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) Mitten: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 8: 25. (1864)
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