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opal pohlia, opal thread-moss, pohlia moss

andalusian pohlia moss, Roth's pohlia, Roth's thread-moss

Habit Plants medium-sized to large, green, whitish, or sometimes bluish tinged, shiny. Plants small to medium-sized, green, ± glossy.
Stems

0.5–2.5 cm.

0.3–3 cm.

Leaves

erect to ± spreading, lanceolate to elliptic, 0.8–2 mm;

margins serrulate to serrate in distal 1/3;

costa subpercurrent;

distal medial laminal cells linear-rhomboidal, vermicular, firm, 70–140 µm, walls thin.

± erect, lanceolate, 0.8–1.1 mm;

margins serrulate to serrate in distal 1/3;

costa subpercurrent;

distal medial laminal cells rhombic to rhomboidal, 65–95 µm, walls thin.

Seta

orange to orange-brown.

orange-brown.

Sexual condition

paroicous, rarely dioicous;

perigonial leaves in dioicous plants linear- or long-lanceolate from ovate base;

perichaetial leaves strongly or rarely weakly differentiated, linear-lanceolate.

dioicous;

perigonial leaves ovate;

perichaetial leaves scarcely differentiated, lanceolate.

Capsule

inclined 10–135°, stramineous to orange-brown, long- and slender-pyriform, neck 1/2 urn length;

exothecial cells elongate-rectangular, walls straight;

stomata superficial;

annulus present;

operculum conic;

exostome teeth yellow-brown to red-brown, acute-triangular;

endostome hyaline, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length, segments broadly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia short to long.

inclined 95–180°, brown to stramineous, pyriform, neck 1/3 urn length;

exothecial cells short-rectangular, walls sinuate;

stomata superficial;

annulus present;

operculum convex-conic;

exostome teeth yellow-brown, narrowly triangular-acute;

endostome hyaline, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length, segments distinctly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia short to rudimentary.

Spores

18–26 µm, ± coarsely papillose.

16–21 µm, finely roughened.

Specialized

asexual reproduction absent.

asexual reproduction usually present when sterile;

axillary gemmae 2–8, obconic to oblong, shorter than leaves, yellow, pink, or green, leaf primordia usually at apex, occasionally more proximally, laminate.

Pohlia cruda

Pohlia andalusica

Phenology Capsules mature summer (Jun–Aug). Capsules mature summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat Soil banks, rock crevices, under roots, tundra soil and paths Acid, gravelly or sandy disturbed soil, path banks, stream banks
Elevation moderate to high elevations low to high elevations
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; IA; ID; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OR; PA; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Mexico; South America; Australia; Greenland; Pacific Islands; Eurasia; Antarctica
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; CA; CO; ID; MA; ME; MT; NY; PA; VT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NB; NL; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; YT; Europe
Discussion

Pohlia cruda is distinguished by the glossy, pale green to whitish or bluish leaves that are narrowly elliptic to lanceolate; the laminal cells are long and narrowly linear-vermicular; the perichaetial leaves are strongly differentiated and linear-lanceolate; the sporophytes have necks about as long as the urn, with long-tapered exostome teeth, broadly keeled and perforate segments, and short to long cilia. Along with P. nutans, P. cruda is one of the most common North American species of the genus. Unlike P. nutans, P. cruda is restricted to northern and montane sites where it grows in rock crevices and on soil banks. The leaves of this species are sometimes slightly complanate. The gametophytes can be unisexual (dioicous) or bisexual (paroicous).

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

Plants of Pohlia andalusica have pink stems. The gemmae occur in clusters of two to six in a few distal leaf axils and are reddish brown to green or sometimes reddish yellow. The gemmae are obconic in shape, with laminate leaf primordia at the apices. Pohlia andalusica is one of the most common gemmiferous species in New England, but is much more rare in western North America.

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

Source FNA vol. 28, p. 198. FNA vol. 28, p. 206.
Parent taxa Mielichhoferiaceae > Pohlia Mielichhoferiaceae > Pohlia
Sibling taxa
P. andalusica, P. andrewsii, P. annotina, P. atropurpurea, P. beringiensis, P. bolanderi, P. brevinervis, P. bulbifera, P. camptotrachela, P. cardotii, P. columbica, P. crudoides, P. drummondii, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. filum, P. flexuosa, P. lescuriana, P. longibracteata, P. longicolla, P. ludwigii, P. melanodon, P. nutans, P. obtusifolia, P. pacifica, P. proligera, P. rabunbaldensis, P. robertsonii, P. tundrae, P. vexans, P. wahlenbergii
P. andrewsii, P. annotina, P. atropurpurea, P. beringiensis, P. bolanderi, P. brevinervis, P. bulbifera, P. camptotrachela, P. cardotii, P. columbica, P. cruda, P. crudoides, P. drummondii, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. filum, P. flexuosa, P. lescuriana, P. longibracteata, P. longicolla, P. ludwigii, P. melanodon, P. nutans, P. obtusifolia, P. pacifica, P. proligera, P. rabunbaldensis, P. robertsonii, P. tundrae, P. vexans, P. wahlenbergii
Synonyms Mnium crudum Webera andalusica
Name authority (Hedwig) Lindberg: Musc. Scand., 18. (1879) (Höhnel) Brotherus: in H. G. A. Engler and K. Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 218[I,3]: 551. (1903)
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