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Jungermann's platydictya moss, thread-like willow-moss

platydictya moss

Habit Plants dense, soft, silky, green to yellow-brown. Plants dense, green to brownish.
Stems

with branching angle narrow, branches easily detached;

pseudoparaphyllia absent;

rhizoids axillary, purplish and granular-papillose at least when young.

with branching angle wide, branches firmly attached;

pseudoparaphyllia foliose;

rhizoids below or at abaxial leaf insertion, red-brown, smooth.

Leaves

erect-spreading or sometimes ± secund, 0.1–0.3(–0.5) mm;

base not or somewhat narrowed to insertion;

margins serrulate, especially at insertion;

alar cells subquadrate, region of 3–7 cells;

distal laminal cells shortly oblong-rhomboid, 3–4:1.

erect-spreading, often subsecund, 0.2–0.5 mm;

base somewhat narrowed to insertion;

margins entire or nearly so;

alar cells subquadrate, region of 6–8+ cells;

distal laminal cells oblong-rhomboid, (2–)3–5:1.

Seta

0.6–1.1 cm.

0.7–1.2 cm.

Sexual condition

dioicous;

perichaetial leaf margins ciliate-dentate distally.

autoicous;

perichaetial leaf margins entire.

Capsule

erect, oblong-cylindric, symmetric or nearly so, 0.5–1 mm, contracted below mouth and at neck when dry, neck short;

stomata in neck;

annulus 2-seriate;

operculum convex-conic, stoutly mammillate to ± rostellate;

exostome teeth whitish yellow;

endostome cilia 1 or 2, rudimentary to well developed.

erect or nearly so, oblong-cylindric, symmetric, 1–1.5 mm, somewhat contracted at neck and sometimes below mouth when dry, neck short;

stomata in neck;

annulus 1-seriate;

operculum conic, obliquely short-pointed to rostellate;

exostome teeth yellow-brown;

endostome cilia 1 or 2, rudimentary or absent.

Spores

11–13 µm.

9–13 µm.

Specialized

asexual reproduction by axillary obcuneate propagula.

asexual reproduction absent.

Platydictya jungermannioides

Platydictya subtilis

Habitat Rock in damp, sheltered places, crevices of cliffs, under rock ledges, peaty soil, humus under overhanging turf, hollows under roots of trees, lower sides of logs, calcareous habitats Bark at base of hardwoods, exposed roots, logs
Elevation low to high elevations low to moderate elevations
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AR; AZ; CA; CO; IA; ID; MI; MT; ND; NM; NY; VT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Europe; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AR; AZ; IN; MA; ME; MI; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OK; VA; VT; WI; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; YT; South America; Europe; Asia
Discussion

Platydictya jungermannioides is easily recognized by its small size, absent or almost absent leaf costa, easily detached branches, and axillary rhizoids that are purplish and granular-papillose at least when young. The branching and rhizoid characters differentiate P. jungermannioides from the other three species of Platydictya.

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

Distinctive features of Platydictya subtilis include the entire leaf margins, elongate distal cells, and many subquadrate alar cells; the capsule is erect or nearly so. This is the only species of the genus typically found on bark.

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

Source FNA vol. 28, p. 283. FNA vol. 28, p. 284.
Parent taxa Amblystegiaceae > Platydictya Amblystegiaceae > Platydictya
Sibling taxa
P. confervoides, P. minutissima, P. subtilis
P. confervoides, P. jungermannioides, P. minutissima
Synonyms Hypnum jungermannioides, Amblystegiella sprucei Leskea subtilis, Amblystegiella subtilis, Amblystegium subtile, Serpoleskea subtilis
Name authority (Bridel) H. A. Crum: Michigan Bot. 3: 60. (1964) (Hedwig) H. A. Crum: Michigan Bot. 3: 60. (1964)
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