Pohlia nutans
Pohlia elongata
nodding pohlia, nodding thread-moss, pohlia moss
elongate pohlia moss, long-fruit pohlia, long-fruit thread-moss
0.5–3.5(–10) cm.
0.5–2.5 cm.
erect to ± spreading, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2 mm;
base not or scarcely decurrent;
margins subentire or more often serrulate to serrate in distal 1/3;
costa subpercurrent, percurrent, or rarely short-excurrent;
distal medial laminal cells hexagonal to rhomboidal, firm, 50–90 µm, walls moderately thick.
erect to ± spreading, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2 mm;
margins subentire or more often serrulate to serrate in distal 1/3;
costa subpercurrent or percurrent;
distal medial laminal cells hexagonal to rhomboidal, firm, 45–85 µm, walls moderately thick.
orange to orange-brown.
orange to orange-brown.
paroicous, rarely dioicous;
perigonial leaves ovate-lanceolate;
perichaetial leaves somewhat differentiated, ± long-lanceolate.
paroicous, autoicous, or rarely dioicous;
perigonial leaves in dioicous plants broadly short-ovate;
perichaetial leaves somewhat differentiated, ± long-lanceolate.
inclined 80–100°, orange to orange-brown, slender-pyriform, neck 1/2 urn length;
exothecial cells elongate-rectangular, walls straight;
stomata superficial;
annulus present;
operculum conic;
exostome teeth yellow to orange-brown, acute-triangular;
endostome hyaline or rarely orange-brown, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length, segments tapered apically, broadly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia short to long.
inclined 10–90°, stramineous, orange, or orange-brown, short- to long- and slender-pyriform, neck 1/2–1 time urn length;
exothecial cells elongate-rectangular, walls straight;
stomata superficial;
annulus present;
operculum conic;
exostome teeth yellow to brown, acute-triangular;
endostome hyaline, basal membrane barely exceeding capsule rim or to 1/3 exostome length, segments narrowly or not keeled, narrowly to not perforate, cilia absent to rudimentary, rarely long.
16–22 µm, finely to distinctly roughened.
16–23 µm, distinctly roughened.
asexual reproduction typically absent.
asexual reproduction absent.
Pohlia nutans
Pohlia elongata
Pohlia nutans is the most common species of Pohlia in North America, Europe, and elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast to the treatment by A. J. Shaw (1982), P. sphagnicola is not separated here from P. nutans; the type of P. sphagnicola is European. Plants referable to P. sphagnicola, including North American collections, differ in being dioicous and having entire leaves, slightly shorter laminal cells, and smaller spores. The habitat in Sphagnum hummocks is not diagnostic; at least 80% of plants growing in Sphagnum are P. nutans. Pohlia schimperi, a northern form with reddish leaves, also dioicous, is not recognized, as per Shaw.
The peristome of Pohlia nutans is as well developed as any in Pohlia, with long, tapered, trabeculate exostome teeth and well-developed endostomes with broadly keeled, widely perforate segments and short to long cilia. The laminal cells are short- to elongate-hexagonal with thickened walls. The only other North American species with relatively thick-walled laminal cells is P. elongata; the cells of P. elongata are typically longer, but there is extensive overlap in sizes. Plants without sporophytes have generally been named P. nutans, although some collections from montane regions may actually be P. elongata; sporophytes of P. elongata have longer necks, as long as or longer than the urns, and reduced peristomes with endostome segments narrowly split along the keel and (usually) no cilia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Pohlia elongata is widespread in North America but not common. Plants generally occur scattered or in small patches and regularly produce sporophytes from bisexual (paroicous) gametophytes. The capsule necks of P. elongata are typically longer than the urn and the endostome is reduced (see under 1. P. nutans). The endostomial segments vary from relatively broad and distinctly keeled with narrow perforations to narrowly linear, scarcely keeled, and not at all split along the keels. A high elevation expression that has generally been collected from exposed sites and often called P. acuminata or P. polymorpha, is characterized by small plants with relatively broad leaves and short, barrel-shaped sporophytes with short necks.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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