Pohlia nutans
Pohlia longibracteata
nodding pohlia, nodding thread-moss, pohlia moss
longbract pohlia 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.
wide-spreading, narrowly long-lanceolate, 2–3.5 mm;
base not or scarcely decurrent;
margins serrate in distal 1/3;
costa subpercurrent;
distal medial laminal cells linear-hexagonal, 80–160 µm, walls thin.
orange to orange-brown.
orange-brown.
paroicous, rarely dioicous;
perigonial leaves ovate-lanceolate;
perichaetial leaves somewhat differentiated, ± long-lanceolate.
dioicous;
perigonia usually on short lateral branches, leaves to 6 mm;
perichaetial leaves ± strongly differentiated, lanceolate to linear-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 ± 180°, brown to stramineous, short-pyriform to urceolate, neck less than 1/3 urn length;
exothecial cells isodiametric, walls straight to sinuate;
stomata immersed;
annulus absent;
operculum short- to long-conic;
exostome teeth light yellow-brown, triangular-acute;
endostome hyaline, basal membrane 1/2 exostome length or slightly longer, segments tapered apically, distinctly keeled, broadly perforate, cilia long, nodulose, or short.
16–22 µm, finely to distinctly roughened.
14–20 µm, finely roughened.
asexual reproduction typically absent.
asexual reproduction absent.
Pohlia nutans
Pohlia longibracteata
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.)
Sterile plants of Pohlia longibracteata are easily identified by the relatively long, narrow, wide-spreading leaves that are quite glossy. The leaf apices are narrowly acute; the perigonial leaves are very long-acuminate and spreading from the ovate base (providing the basis for the specific epithet). Pohlia longibracteata occurs on soil in Pacific coastal forests, typically under redwood trees.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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