Pseudoleskea incurvata
Pseudoleskea tribulosa
pseudoleskea moss
with branches robust, julaceous, apices curving up;
central strand present;
paraphyllia many, filamentous to foliose, branched.
with branches slender, not julaceous, apices rarely curving up;
central strand present;
paraphyllia many, foliose, not branched.
appressed to somewhat erect when dry, erect-spreading when moist, glossy or dull, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, asymmetric, usually falcate to falcate-secund, 0.8–2(–2.5) mm;
margins strongly and narrowly recurved to near acumen;
apex abruptly acute to short- or rarely long-acuminate, hair-point absent;
costa subpercurrent to percurrent, orange-green, sometimes sinuate;
alar cells transversely elongate to quadrate, region large;
medial laminal cells heterogeneous, elliptic or isodiametric, to 25 µm, 1–2(–3):1, opaque or sometimes pellucid, prorate to near base, lumina smaller than 8 µm, walls firm to strongly incrassate, not pitted;
apical cells 1–2:1;
juxtacostal cells somewhat shorter than more distal cells, walls not pitted.
catenulate, weakly incurved when dry, erect-spreading when moist, dull, oblong-ovate, ± symmetric, not falcate, 0.6–0.9 mm;
margins plane;
apex gradually acute to broadly acuminate, hair-point absent;
costa not reaching acumen to subpercurrent, green to orange-green, not sinuate, terminal abaxial cells projecting and strongly dentate in Morningstar-shaped pattern;
alar cells quadrate to transversely elongate, region large;
medial laminal cells quadrate to isodiametric, to 10 µm, 1:1, pellucid, strongly mammillose-papillose over lumen or rarely off-centered, papillae often with apical cell pointed, covering most of lumen, walls incrassate, not pitted;
proximal juxtacostal cells usually shorter than medial, walls pitted or not.
erect to suberect, symmetric, 1–2.5 mm;
endostome basal membrane 1/4–1/3 exostome length, segments shorter than exostome, cilia 1 or 2.
unknown.
10–20 µm.
Pseudoleskea incurvata
Pseudoleskea tribulosa
Varieties 11 (3 in the flora).
Pseudoleskea incurvata is a complex and highly variable species; the capsules mature in summer. Most plants can be distinguished from P. radicosa by the thick-walled proximal and medial laminal cells that are mostly short, and by the relatively short cells in the acumen. Although there are intermediate specimens, the three varieties are often quite distinct. Combined ecological, molecular and morphological studies of the varieties are needed to determine their distinctiveness.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Pseudoleskea tribulosa is a rare, distinctive endemic species only known from a few sites in the subalpine zone of Yosemite National Park; the plants seem to favor deeply shaded sites such as the mouths of caves or deep overhangs. The combination of small catenulate leaves with weak or absent plicae, plane margins, large central papilla of laminal cells with projecting apical salient, and odd extended apical cell walls of the abaxial costa are diagnostic. The species seems to be closest to 4. P. patens (see the differences under that species). Only male plants are known.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Plants large; leaves 1.5-2.5 mm, distinctly falcate-secund; apices long-acuminate; laminal cell prorulae indistinct. | var. gigantea |
1. Plants small to medium-sized; leaves smaller than1.5 mm, straight, falcate, or falcate-secund; apices usually short-acuminate to acute; laminal cell prorulae distinct | → 2 |
2. Leaves 1-1.5 mm; apices acute to short-acuminate to acuminate; medial laminal cells elliptic, corners rounded. | var. incurvata |
2. Leaves 0.8-1.1 mm; apices abruptly acute to short-acuminate; medial laminal cells isodiametric, corners angular. | var. tenuiretis |
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CalFlora
