Plagiomnium cuspidatum |
Plagiomnium floridanum |
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baby tooth moss, tooth plagiomnium moss, woods leafy moss, woodsy mnium |
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Leaves | dark green or yellow-green, contorted when dry, flat when moist, obovate, ± diamond-shaped or occasionally elliptic, 3–5 mm; base broadly long-decurrent; margins toothed from about mid leaf to apex, teeth sharp, of 1 (or 2) cells; apex acute or acuminate, long-cuspidate, cusp sometimes toothed; costa percurrent or excurrent; medial laminal cells short-elongate or ± isodiametric, 20–30(–40) µm, slightly smaller near margins, occasionally in longitudinal rows, rarely in diagonal rows, strongly collenchymatous, walls not pitted; marginal cells linear, in 2–4(–5) rows. |
dark green or yellow-green, crisped and contorted when dry, flat when moist, elliptic, 3–5 mm; base narrowly decurrent; margins toothed from about mid leaf to apex, teeth sharp, of 1 (or 2) cells; apex acute or acuminate, cuspidate, cusp sometimes toothed; costa percurrent or short-excurrent; medial laminal cells ± isodiametric or short-elongate, 20–30 µm, slightly smaller near margins, occasionally in longitudinal and diagonal rows, strongly collenchymatous, walls not pitted; marginal cells linear, in 2–4 rows. |
Seta | single, yellow, brown, or sometimes reddish, 2–3 cm. |
single, yellow or brown, 2–3 cm. |
Sexual condition | synoicous. |
dioicous. |
Capsule | pendent, ovoid or cylindric, 2–3.5 mm, neck not distinct; operculum conic-apiculate. |
pendent, cylindric, 1.5–2.5 mm, neck not distinct; operculum conic. |
Spores | 18–31 µm. |
25–30 µm. |
Erect | stems 1–2(–3.5) cm, not dendroid; sterile stems to 7 cm. |
stems 1–3 cm, not dendroid; sterile stems to 3(–4) cm. |
Plagiomnium cuspidatum |
Plagiomnium floridanum |
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Phenology | Capsules mature late spring. | Capsules mature spring. |
Habitat | Soil, logs, rock, stumps or tree bases in wet meadows/carrs, forested rich peatlands, wet forests, fire-dependent forests/woodlands, mesic hardwood forests, cliff/talus | Soil over limestone |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low elevations |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; CA; CO; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Asia; Greenland; Europe; Mexico (México); Africa
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FL; GA; MS |
Discussion | Plagiomnium cuspidatum, P. drummondii, and P. floridanum are the only North American species of the genus that consistently have well-developed, sharp teeth restricted to the distal portions of the leaf margins. Plagiomnium ellipticum and P. rostratum often have leaves that are toothed only distally, but the teeth are small and mostly blunt, and the leaves are never obovate. Plagiomnium cuspidatum has larger leaves and larger, less collenchymatous laminal cells than P. drummondii and P. floridanum. The thinner cell walls and larger cells of P. drummondii give it a distinctly more translucent aspect than P. cuspidatum and P. floridanum. In addition to the morphological characters in the key, Plagiomnium cuspidatum is separated from the closely allied P. floridanum by sexual condition, ploidy level, and ecology (R. Wyatt and I. J. Odrzykoski 2012). Plagiomnium cuspidatum is synoicous and diploid, with a chromosome count of n = 12, whereas P. floridanum is dioicous and haploid, with a chromosome count of n = 6. Although Plagiomnium cuspidatum exhibits a relatively broad ecological amplitude, P. floridanum shows a preference for soils associated with limestone. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
See discussion for this species under 3. Plagiomnium cuspidatum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 28, p. 231. | FNA vol. 28, p. 233. |
Parent taxa | Mniaceae > Plagiomnium | Mniaceae > Plagiomnium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Mnium cuspidatum | |
Name authority | (Hedwig) T. J. Koponen: Ann. Bot. Fenn. 5: 146. (1968) | R. E. Wyatt & Odrzykoski: Bryologist 115: 531, figs. 1, 2 [right]. (2012) |
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