Pohlia cruda
Pohlia melanodon
opal pohlia, opal thread-moss, pohlia moss
pink-fruit pohlia, pink-fruit thread-moss, pohlia moss
0.5–2.5 cm.
0.3–1 cm.
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-spreading to spreading, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.7–1.3 mm;
base not or scarcely decurrent;
margins weakly serrulate in distal 1/3;
apex acute or short-acuminate;
costa ending well before apex;
distal medial laminal cells laxly and broadly rhomboidal, 60–100 µm, walls thin.
orange to orange-brown.
orange-brown.
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.
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 ± 180°, brown to red-brown, sometimes stramineous, short-pyriform to urceolate, neck less than 1/3 urn length;
exothecial cells isodiametric, walls sinuate;
stomata immersed;
annulus absent;
operculum short- to long-conic;
exostome teeth dark brown to red-brown, triangular-acute;
endostome yellow to yellow-brown, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length or slightly longer, segments tapered apically, distinctly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia long, nodulose.
18–26 µm, ± coarsely papillose.
13–18 µm, finely roughened.
asexual reproduction absent.
asexual reproduction absent.
Pohlia cruda
Pohlia melanodon
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.)
Pohlia melanodon has soft, dark green, rather broad ovate-lanceolate leaves with lax, thin-walled cells. The species does not produce elongate sterile cushions as does P. wahlenbergii; even when sterile, the plants have short stems and are rather densely leafy. Pohlia melanodon is more common in eastern North America than collections indicate; it is often sterile and for that reason rarely collected. The exothecial cell walls of capsules of this species are somewhat collenchymatous.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
CalFlora
Flora NW
MD Biodiversity
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
IL Wildflowers
